Switch
by TheFictionDreamer
Summary: Lucy is sure that her life is harder then Lokis, but he disagree and comes up with a experiment that will solve it.   "Let's make a test," he said and his eyes shone with suppressed excitement, "in the spirit world, there is something called  Switch ."
1. The switch document

**Hey. ;)**

**This is a random idea I came up with, and wanted to see if anyone would want me to continue. :) **

* * *

Chapter 1.

"Gate of the lion, I open you!" Lucy yelled and raised the key in a circle over her head, "Loki!" the key shone in her outstretched hand and smoke exploded around her.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled and tried to come and help her, but his own opponent blocked his way and he bared his teeth in anger. Gray didn't even have time to look at Lucy, when two identical clones raised their swords, and swung them deadly toward him. The team had runned into a gang of dark mages. Erza was dancing around with leader and her eyes were hard in concentration. The sound of singing swords and magic echoed in the air.

Two of the dark mages was attacking Lucy, and she had hurried to call her spirit.

The dark mages had stopped when the smoke had surrounded the ground, but when they saw who appeared from the smoke their lips cracked in grins. Lucy's mouth opened in surprise. She had expected to see the flaming red hair, serious eyes and straight posture of her strongest spirit, but instead a much smaller figure appeared.

"What?" Lucy exclaimed, "Aries? What are you doing here?"

The small girl with curly horns looked at Lucy with apologizing eyes and wrapped her hand together.

"I – I'm sorry," she mumbled innocently, "L-Loki can't come right now."

"What do you mean he can't come?" Lucy said and made panicking hand movements, "I need him _now_. Tell him to come." Lucy didn't believe her ears. He _couldn't come?_

"B-but he told me to substitute, b-because …"

"Tell him to come - UGH! –" Lucy didn't get to finish before a deadly blow hit her shoulder and brought her to her knees. The Dark mages looked at her with an smug smile on his face.

"No more talk," he said and ran forward. Lucy looked at them in horror.

"I'll protect you!" Aries said and hurried in front of Lucy.

"Aries, look out!" Lucy yelled. A third mage appeared behind the small sheep-looking girl, and got ready to hit. Aries turned around with incredible speed and stopped the attack, but the two other dark mages didn't miss the change and their fists hit her roughly from behind.

"ARIES!" Lucy yelled in horror. The little spirit fell to the ground.

"I – I'm sorry," she whispered and hit the ground.

"Aries, tell Loki to come!" Lucy yelled and lifted her key, "Gate of the Ram, I close you!" she cried out and saw the hurt girl disappear in white smoke, "damn it."

"That was too easy," the third mage said and gave the others a high-five before he turned to Lucy. A triumphing smile was plastered on his face. Lucy hurried to her feet and with shaking hands she found her keys. It took a lot of her magical power to summon a golden key, but she found another one.

"Gate of the bull, AARGH!" she cried out when the dark mage sent a ball of energy toward her and forced her to the ground. Her fingers opened and her keys landed a few meters away. The mage laughed amused and got ready to hit again, but suddenly a wall of ice appeared in front of him.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled and grabbed around her wrist and pulled her away before the dark mage crushed the ice, with another ball of dark magic. Gray jumped forward and blocked the mage the way.

Natsu yanked Lucy with him and hurried to get her out of the danger zone.

"I could have taken them down if Loki had …" Lucy began, but Natsu cut her off, and put her down when they were out of the fighting area.

"Don't worry about it, you did great," Natsu said and gave her a grin, "let us take it from here."

Lucy sighed; she was so tired of this. She always ended up getting hurt and had to let the boys do the hard work. Today she had finally managed to be of little help, and then Loki had decided _not_ to come. That was just great. She was going to give him kill him.

* * *

"We couldn't have done it without you," Natsu disagreed and gave Lucy a grin, "cheer up Lu-chan, and I'll see you tomorrow." Natsu said and ran toward the guild. Lucy sighed and lifted a hand in goodbye. Natsu had tried to cheer her up but it didn't really help.

A while later she let herself into her apartment. She was really relieved, to find it empty. No annoying mages today – sweet. She let herself fall down on her bed and moaned exhausted. Her eyelids closed slowly and she let her body relax.

"You look beautiful when you're tired," a sugar-sweet voice whispered seducing. Lucy's eyes opened instinctively. She looked right into a pair of gray-blue eyes. He smiled friendly, but Lucy's eyes twisted in anger.

"Where were you?" she said harsh and pushed him away so she could sit up. Loki looked at her with innocent eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Because you didn't show up, I lost focus, Aries got hurt and I had to let Gray, Natsu and Erza do all the hard work, **again**!" Lucy said and gave him a blaming stare. Loki put his hands in the pockets and pulled his shoulder a little up.

"I was busy," he said and looked away, "I promise to make it up to you, I would never let you get seriously hurt, you know that!"

"Then why didn't you come?" Lucy said annoyed and crossed her arms. Loki sighed and took a seat beside her on the bed.

"Listen, I may be a spirit, but I have a life too," Loki said, "I can sense your condition, if you were in real danger, I would have come, but it didn't seem serious enough so …"

"You decided not to come," Lucy said and looked at him with hard eyes, "then tell me Loki, what was so important that you just stayed away."

Loki looked uncomfortable for a second, but then he sighed and decided just to say it like it was, "I was on a date."

"A date?" Lucy said and waited for him to add ´it's a joke´ or ´just kidding´, but he seemed to be done talking and just waited for her reaction.

"You stayed away, because of a … a date?" Lucy said stunned.

"Don't make it sound like a crime, dearest," he said and tried to give her one of his _smiles_, but Lucy just cut him off with a hand movement and exhaled irritated.

"You have no idea …" she began, but this time Loki cut _her_ off.

"No, _you_ have no idea," Loki said, "I watch you 24/7 – and I don't mind – but sometimes I would just like to … live a little myself, even if I _am_ a spirit."

"Of course you can, you're not my prisoner," Lucy hurried to say, "but you could have helped me, and then gone back to your date, I really needed you."

"Do you think it's that easy?" Loki asked, "I don't use much magical power to cross the gate, because I have had training in it, but it does take my strength to fight. Can't you see it's not that simple to just take a trip to your world, and come home, fresh and ready? You have it easy."

"What!" Lucy exclaimed angrily, "I do not have it easy!"

"You can decide when you want to go on missions. You can rest the time you need. I have to be ready every time you call, and I don't say that you use me too much or exhaust me too much, but it would be nice if you understood."

Loki's eyes had become hard, but Lucy was too furious to notice. He sighed and took a seat next to her on the bed.

"To be human is harder then you think," she said harsh and jumped to her feet, so she was taller then him, "We have a lot to do everyday, that a spirit don't have too worry about."

"Well, a spirits daily life isn't as easy either," Loki said and got to his feet too, so he towered over her.

"You have no idea how hard my life can be," Lucy continued, "I have my problems too."

"So you're saying, that your life is harder then mine?" he asked and didn't believe his ears. Lucy looked at him with judging eyes, and then she nodded.

"Definitely!" she agreed.

"Lucy, I watch you everyday," he said and suddenly became serious, he laid both his hands on each of her shoulders, "but you have never even asked about my life, not once. How could you possibly kno-" suddenly a smile crawled up on his lips. He let go of her and rubbed his chin in deep thoughts.

"What?" Lucy said suspicious.

"Maybe you're right," he said and focused his eyes on hers, "maybe your life _is_ harder, but you can't really say for sure, can you?"

"What are you up to, Loki?" she asked and rose an eyebrow.

"Let's make a test," he said and his eyes shone with suppressed excitement, "in the spirit world, there is something called ´Switch´."

"Switch?"

"Yes," Loki pulled his sunglasses up in the hair and gave Lucy an amused look, "it allows spirits and their owners to switch roles for 48 hours."

"Huh?" Lucy said stunned, "Me? A spirit?"

"It helps owners and spirits understand each other," Loki explained, "it been used for generations. It can really help a relationship," he winked. Lucy looked down.

"I don't know," Lucy mumbled and thought about it.

"Why not? I promise to pay your rent and explain to everyone," Loki explained, "it's just signing a contract and then you're _my_ spirit for 2 days."

"But you won't learn anything, you have already been a human," Lucy informed him. Loki sighed.

"If you're scared …"

"Am not!" Lucy argued.

"Perfect!" Loki said and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Lucy jumped back in surprise.

"Loki?" she asked, but the spirit was gone, "gezz…" she was about to sit at the bed again, when a loud ´puff´ echoed in the room and made her jump back on her feet. Loki held a piece of golden paper toward Lucy. The letters was cursive and shone like silver on the golden paper.

"What's that?" Lucy said stunned. A smirk showed on the spirit face while he read the title with a confident voice.

"The official Switch document."

* * *

**So tell me what you think? Should I continue? :) **


	2. The spirit town

**Hey. ;)**

**Finally a update. Hope you'll like. : D**

* * *

Chapter 2.

"I am not sure about this," Lucy said and looked at the silver pen in her hand, "will it hurt?" she looked at Loki, but he rolled his eyes and shook his head. She swallowed and pressed the pen lightly against the paper. She wrote slowly and with small letters ´_Lucy Heartphilia_´. The letters began to shine and Lucy jumped a little back in surprise.

"What? What did I do wrong?" she asked and looked panicking at Loki.

"Nothing," Loki said and smiled. They both looked while Lucys' name sunk into the contract like water, just like Lokis' had done a while ago.

"I – I feel weird," Lucy said when her head started to spin. She put a hand on her forehead and swayed dangerously. Loki hurried to lay his hands on her shoulders to steady her. She looked up at him and saw his lips move, but she couldn't hear the sound. He looked calm, but tense. Suddenly an unfamiliar sound echoed in the room and she felt Lokis hand let go of her, in surprise, but he caught her again fast. What was that sound? It sounded like a cry out in pain. Loki turned her around in his arms and looked at her, she could see his lips form her name.

Sweat drops had formed on her forehead, and she took deep inhalations between every breath. Her throat was sore – first now she realized that the scream had belonged to her.

She reached out toward Loki, but her hand didn't reach him, before her vision started to turn black. The last thing she saw was the door opening behind Loki, and her two flustered teammates ran in.

"What the hell are you doing …" Grays voice echoed in her head, before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Have you ever been floating on the water surface? You have to keep your body steady and relaxed, because if you don't, you'll sink down in the cold water, and have to start over once more. That was how Lucy felt; her body was totally relaxed, while she drifted away on the water. She didn't dare to open her eyes, or make any movements.

"Lu – cy," a soft voice hummed. Her eyelids twisted, "Lucy? Open your eyes."

"I feel sick," she mumbled in answer.

"Oh man," the voice said, and she felt a hard punch hid her shoulder and her eyes opened in surprise, "don't be so lazy! She's awake!"

"Don't be so Harsh!"

Lucy stared right at a boy. He was absolutely beautiful, his dark hair swayed around his face and his even darker eyes shone with excitement. He was wearing a shining golden armor. First now Lucy became aware of where she was. She lay on her back on a madras on the floor; she was inside a small house. The fire crackled quietly beside her.

"How are you feeling, Lucy?" the beautiful stranger asked her.

"I am okay," she whispered, and laid a hand on her head, "where am I?"

"You are in my house," he answered, "My name is Baldur!"

"You're a spirit," Lucy said, it wasn't really a question, more a statement, but he answered anyway.

"Yes, you're in the spirit world."

"We don't have time for this?" a hard voice said and now she turned her head to see another boy - the one that had hit her.

"She just opened her eyes, give her a moment," Baldur answered and gestured toward Lucy that smiled unsure.

"Great - moments over -, now fight me!" the boy said and his fist tighten. Lucy realized that the vicious spirit had two large horns sticking out of his head and on his back two, large black wings was folded.

"Fine, let's settle …" Baldurs' eyes suddenly became blank, "sorry, duty calls."

"What?" the spirit asked annoyed and his wings fell to the ground in disappointment, "can't Maria let you alone for two seconds?" suddenly Baldur raised his sword and in one movement the spirit with the bad mouth, was on the floor.

"Don't talk bad about my owner, Ares," Baldur said furiously and Ares gritted his teeth and was about to tell Baldur off, but he changed his mind and pushed the spirit away instead. Baldur let him and shook his head, before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Take care of the girl until I come back," was his last words.

"What? No! You come _back_ here!" Ares said furious and lifted his fist high in the air like a kid. He jumped up and down and protested wildly, until all the smoke was gone. Then he sunk down and turned toward Lucy. She was sitting paralyzed and stared at the spirit.

"Gezz …" Ares said and rolled his eyes, "don't be scared – it can get you killed."

"Who are you?" Lucy asked silently.

"I'm Ares, god of war - and all that," he said and made a dismissing hand movement, "who are you?"

"Lu – Lucy," she said silently and laid her hands on the legs. First now she realized that her outfit had changed. She wore a blue dress and her hair was sat up in a ponytail.

"Lucy what?" Ares said and put his hands behind his head and rested his back/wings toward the wall.

"Lucy Heartphilia," she hurried to say.

"OH!" he said and pointed an accusing finger at her, "you're Lokis!"

"Yeah …" she mumbled and pulled back from him. She didn't like to be refereed to as ´Lokis´.

"Tell him I want to fight him!" he said and his eyes shone with excitement. Lucy's lips pulled up in a little smile. Ares tilted his head and looked annoyed at her.

"Sorry," Lucy hurried to say when she saw his face.

"What? You don't think I can?" he said and tighten his fist.

"No no no!" Lucy said and couldn't take her smile off, "you just remind me of one of my friends."

* * *

"What happened?" Natsu demanded to know and walked toward Loki with a threatening look, "where is she? Where did she go?"

Gray and Natsu had just walked in, because they had heard Lucys' scream. When they had opened the door she had disappeared in smoke and a purple key had appeared in Lokis hand.

"What did you do to her?" Gray asked and for once, he lost his smooth, calm expression. Loki sighed.

"She's fine –" he started, but Natsu had already grabbed his collar.

"Where – is – she?" he demanded to know.

"Let go of me," Loki said threatening and stared at Natsu through his sunglasses. Gray hurried to grab Natsus shoulder and yanked him back, but his eyes were hard and cold.

"She's in the spirit world," Loki said and straightened his clothes, "she's perfectly fine, no one in the spirit world would hurt her. Not in my town, anyway."

"How can she be there?" Natsu asked, "She told me that only spirit can be there."

"She – um – kinda is," he said and scratched the back of his head.

"WHAT?" Gray and Natsu yelled at the same time. Loki rolled his eyes and knew he would have to explain very slowly and precise.

* * *

"I am a golden key," Ares said proudly and hit a fist against his chest, "my goal is to beat all the other golden spirits, so I can call myself the strongest. I have beaten a couple, but I still have a long way to go. Baldur is one of the golden spirits."

"That's why you want to fight him ... and Loki," Lucy understood and wrapped her hands together on her back.

"Someday," Ares said and smiled by the thought, "someday I'll be the best."

"Sure you will," Lucy said and looked around. Ares had taken her to the town and it almost looked like a human city – except that the town people here; had horn, tails and other supernatural features.

"This is amazing," Lucy said fascinated and couldn't help but stare, "I never thought I would see this, it's so cool!" she smiled widely and pressed her eyes together in excitement, "maybe I should write a book about this."

"You're easily amused," Ares said and rolled his eyes.

"Of course I am … huh?" she touched her head in surprise when a voice suddenly sounded in her head. It was familiar ´Gate of the spirits, I open you. Lucy! ´.

"Are you being called?" Ares asked when he saw her face.

"I don't know," Lucy answered confused.

"You are. Look," Ares said and pointed at the ground were smoke was starting to rise around her. "Tell Loki I want to fight him!" Ares yelled before the smoke covered Lucy's vision.

"Wait! What do I do?" she asked flustered, but Ares was already gone and she was pulled down. Not like falling, more like two giant hands had grabbed her and pulled her down. The pressure of wind was so heavily that she couldn't even get a scream over her lips. The smoke stung her eyes, floated into her mouth and burned her throat. The trip seemed eternal, but suddenly she felt ground under her feet and collapsed on it.

"Lucy?" Lokis soft voice asked. Lucy coughed heavily and immediately felt two pair of hands grab her from each side. They stood in her apartment.

"Are you okay, Lu?" Natsu asked worried. Gray held her other arm and helped her on her feet.

"I – I think so," Lucy said an suddenly felt a great source of energy, "I actually feel great." Lokis lips cracked in a grin.

"You're using my magical energy," he explained, "you know, it always take energy for you to get spirits here – it works the same way. When I runs out of magic, you are sent right back."

"Really," Lucy asked and looked at her hands.

"What are you wearing?" Gray asked and lifted an eyebrow. Lucy looked down at her blue dress and lifted her shoulders a little.

"Don't know." She hurried past him to look in a mirror. Her dress swayed every time she moved. First now she realized that her whip was tighten to the side of the dress, it felt so natural for it to be there. She lifted it and it felt more familiar than it used to do, like it was made for her hand.

"When you become a spirit, some of your talents will be improved," he explained, "So you can – you know – protect me." The corner of his lips pulled up by the irony, and that made Lucy smile too.

"That's so cool," she said and sent him a smile, "I promise to protect you."

"Yeah, right," Loki said and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt your moment," Gray suddenly said and had somehow lost his shirt, "but are Lucy coming on our next mission? We're a kinda team you know."

"That's right," Natsu (for once) agreed with Gray.

"Too bad, she can't be on missions for the next …" Loki looked at his watch, "46 Hours and 58 minutes."

"Why not?" Lucy hurried to say and tighten her fist. Everyone looked at her with surprise. Her eyes shone with excitement, "I mean, I have never felt stronger. I want to go on a mission … and I … I want to help for once. I'm always a burden and –" she hurried to lift a finger before Natsu and Gray could protest, "and I want to show that I can help!"

"But you don't know how to maintain control of you power when your in a fight," Loki hurried to say and began to count on his fingers, "You have to learn how to control your use of energy, you have to learn the best way to travel from and to the spirit world, you have to know your limits –"

"You learn best in action!" Lucy interrupted him, "please!"

"But …"

"Pleeeeeeease!" Lucy said and looked at him with begging eyes. She reminded Loki of a puppy, sitting under the table and begging for small bites of the family's delicious steak.

"Gezz!" he said defeated and rolled his eyes, but then he put a small smile on, "only because its you, beautiful."

* * *

Lucy had more control with her trip back to the spirit world. Loki had taught her a few tricks. She remembered to close her mouth and eyes, so the bitter white smoke couldn't creep in and make her dizzy again. She also learned to cross her arms over the chest and straighten her legs, which gave her more balance when she had to land.

She made a triumphing smile when she landed on her feet and almost didn't stumble around. She landed the exact same place where she had been summoned.

The spirit town was dark when she arrived. The street, that recently had been filled with chattering people and rare creatures, was dead silent. Lucy looked around and felt very foreign in the empty streets. The street was in complete darkness, except one lamppost in the middle of the street. Where should she go? Should she look for a hotel of some kind? ´Hotel for Spirit Owners That had been transferred with the Switch document´?

Her question was answered when a familiar voice broke the silence.

"You're finally back," Ares voice mumbled bored and finally she turned her head and realized that the spirit was sitting nearby, leaned up toward a house. His wings were unfolded behind him and he rested his head on the black feathers. The top of his horns shone in the weak light of the lamp.

"Have you been waiting for me?" Lucy teased, but she really _was_ happy to see him.

"Ha! Dream on, Blondie. I just came by," he said and snorted.

"You where sitting."

"Whatever, did you speak to Loki for me? Are he going to fight me?" he asked and clenched his fist in front of him, like he was really to fight in that very moment.

"I guess I forgot," Lucy said apologizing.

"What?" Ares said disbelieving.

"Can I sleep at your house?" Lucy asked innocent.

"Hell no!" he answered harsh.

"Pretty please," Lucy said and tried to look as cute as possible.

"No! Besides, I think Baldur have a bed prepared for you," Ares said dismissing, "if you don't mind I'll go home now."

"Wait!" Lucy hurried to say, before Ares had even turned around. He raised an eyebrow of her and his wings shifted uncomfortable, "can you – you know – show me the way. It's pretty dark and …"

"Whatever," he said again and turned around to leave. Lucy wrapped her hands together and tilted her head.

"Did that mean, whatever-I-don't-care-about-you or whatever-follow-me?" Lucy questioned. Ares moaned and waved her with him. She smiled and hurried after the annoyed spirit.

* * *

**So what do you think? Do you like my new spirit characters? : P**

**Actually both Ares and Baldur is real legends ... but I just used their names and such - not their backgrounds. xD The story about Baldur says that Loki kills him. : O Ares IS a war-god in the legends, but his character is kinda different in my story. Guess who he remind Lucy about? xDD **

**Hope you liked and thanks for reading. ^_^/ **


	3. On the battlefield

**Hey. ;)**

**It has been a while since I last updated, but I have had a lot to do with school and all that, plus that I did not think anyone would read this - so I haven't been on Fanfic in a long time, and then I went back and all of these AWESOME people had reviewed and I hadn't given them a new chapter in mouths - SORRY! **

**Anyway, if you still wanna read = here it is. If there is still ppl that like, just review and I will write some more. Luv ya all! **

* * *

Chapter 3.

Lucy's nose wrinkled in her sleep, when a sickening sweet smell flooded around her. She pressed her eyes tightly together in surprise and her hands flew up to her nose. Her brow eyes shut open. A pink-haired woman was staring down at her. Her eyes were a soft red color and her cheeks were red from too much rouge.

"Is _this_ the girl?" the woman asked. Lucy's eyes widen and she jumped back with a surprised squeak. Then she remembered were she was. The woman with too much rouge and pink hair rolled her eyes and sighed.

"No wonder you have never dated a guy," she said and flipped her hair.

"W-who are you?" Lucy asked and saw Baldur appear behind the woman.

"Don't scare my guest," he said annoyed to the woman. Baldur was standing with a towel and dried his hands. He turned to Lucy and his face softened, "hungry?"

Not really. "S-sure."

"Great," he said and his face lightened, "Ares and Aphrodite are eating with us."

"Aphrodite?" I asked surprised and stared at the woman. By the sound of her name she posed and winked.

"The god of love," she said and dug a hand into her thick pink hair.

"Amazing!" Lucy said and her eyes shone, "I have always wanted your key."

"Hehe, of cours-" Suddenly her eyes turned blank and she sighed.

"Duty calls?" Baldur asked and smiled.

"Mhmm," Aphrodite said and sighed, "Guess I will eat later."

"Okay, good luck," Baldur said and lifted a hand in goodbye.

"I don't need it," she said and smirked before she disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke. Lucy realized her mouth had been open and she hurried to close it.

"Guess it will only be the three of us," Baldur said, "come down when you have changed."

"Well … okay," Lucy said, but Baldur was already gone.

"_Baldur!_" she heard Ares yell from the kitchen, "_Fight me!_"

A loud ´CLONG´ was heard from the kitchen and Ares yelled in pain. Lucy tilted her head and ran to the kitchen of curiosity. Ares was rubbing his head and swearing silently, while Baldur stood with a frying pan in his left hand, while he cut fruit with the other.

Suddenly Baldur stopped cutting fruit and stared right ahead.

"Lucy," he said and she stiffens automatically.

"Yes!" she said and straightens her back like a soldier. Ares became aware of her present. He stared at her for a second, before he ran out of the room. Hiding that his head hurt like hell.

"Duty calls," he said apologizing. Using the same words that he had used about Aphrodite.

"But you haven't even eaten yet," Lucy protested.

"Well, that's just too bad," Baldur said with a calm smile, "I'm sorry. I am such a bad host, but you will have to make you own breakfast – and oh yeah, don't let Ares near anything in the kitchen. He will destroy it!"

Lucy nodded, while Baldur disappeared in white smoke. She stood for a second and scratched her face before she moved forward and reached for the knife to cut the fruit. Her fingers tighten around the weapon and she tried to lift it, but exhaled in surprise when she realized how heavy it was. How had Baldur made it look so easy? She put both her hand around the knife and lifted it slowly, a drop of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"You are so weak," Ares said behind her and placed both his hands on hers. She jumped in surprise and lost hold around the knife, but Ares hurried to catch it, "and clumsy too."

"Don't …" Lucy yelled annoyed and reached out for the knife. She placed her hands around it and pulled it out of his hands, he let go and stepped back.

"I just tried to help!" he said and rolled his eyes, "Gezz". Lucy almost felt bad, but she still remembered what Baldur said; _don't let Ares near anything in the kitchen._ She didn't know why, but the spirit world was too crazy to ignore roles.

She struggled to lift the knife, while Ares backed up and leaned up against the wall to watch her. She heard him laugh when the knife fell out of her hands and dug into the spotless counter with a horrible sound.

"Oh no!" she yelled and tried to pull the knife out, but it was stuck.

"Need help?" Ares asked amused.

"N – no," Lucy squeaked and looked flustered back and forth.

"I think you do," Ares sighed and crossed his hands over the chest.

"I really don't -" suddenly she heard Loki's voice in her head again. She was summoned? Now at all times.

"Oh no, if Baldur gets back before me …" she said panicking. Loki was summoning her, and she already felt the familiar tickle in her feet.

"Don't worry," Ares said and rolled his eyes, "I will clean up."

"No! Baldur said ... " Lucy began, but Ares had already pushed her aside and pulled the knife out of the counter. She sighed, while the smoke consumed her.

* * *

Lucy blinked her eyes; it was kind of weird not to know where you would appear. She tried to see through the smoke and suddenly saw a ball of light shot directly toward her. She screamed on jumped to the side.

"Lucy, I seriously need you help," Loki yelled annoyed, she had appeared in the middle of a battlefield, "it seems that I lost all my powers when I became a ´real human´." She looked after his voice and her mouth dropped in surprise. Gray and Natsu was lying panting and bloody on the ground, none of them seemed able to fight anymore. Loki was standing with his arm hanging loosely down the side, small drops of blood fell from his fingertips, his sunglasses was gone and he looked very exhausted.

"Lucy?" she heard Natsu mumbled and he lifted his head with a weak movement.

"Wh- what happened?" Lucy asked, but suddenly she heard a rush of wind just outside her ear and dodged a sudden attack with a squeak. She looked up in surprise. She felt an incredible strength. She turned around in a fast spin on the heel and her hand automatically found its way to the whip down her hip. She could feel all of Lokis energy through her body.

She made a huge swing and the whip echoed more than it had ever done before. Her opponent made a little ´huh´ in surprise, and she finally had a chance to look at him.

Man, he was really good looking. He was a boy, 17-18 years old, he was tall and handsome. The kind of guy who kept in shape, had hair that danced in the wind, and really good teeth. His eyes were dark and he looked up and down Lucy with judging eyes.

"You must be Lokis owner. Using Switch, huh?" he said and a smirk suddenly appeared on his lips, "that makes my job a lot easier."

"Lucy!" Loki yelled and she looked at him from the corner of her eyes, "don't let his strings get you, they are filled with electricity!"

"Understood," she said instinctively. Now she finally realized the strings that were wrapped around her opponent's fingers. He didn't waste time, he raised a hand and the strings shot out from his fingers.

Wow! he_ is_ fast, Lucy thought and had to make a backspin to avoid his strings. She heard him laugh and raised the other hand. Lucy felt a string scratch her cheek and lost focus in surprise.

A string wrapped around her wrist, and she screamed in pain when a stream of electricity went through her body.

"Lucy!" she heard Loki yell. She pressed her teeth hard together.

_No more_. She was tired of being saved. Today she would protect them and not the other way around.

She ignored the pain and let her whip swing toward the opponent. He was taken of guard and dodged her attack, but at the same time his strings loosened, and Lucy unwrapped herself in a quick movement.

Suddenly she felt an intense weakness spread through her body. She fell to her knees and panted heavily. She looked back at Loki; he had collapsed at the ground. He was running out of magical power, she had to end this quickly, or she would be sent back to the spirit world.

"Annoying little girl," the man said and got ready to fight again. Lucy placed her feet, ready for the attack, but surprisingly he did not swing his strings after her like last time, instead his hands went down toward his waist and pulled something up. It didn't take Lucy more than a second to recognize the shape.

"K-keys?" She said surprised when a golden key shone from his fingers.

"Damn it," she heard Loki moan from behind her, "Lucy close the gate." Lokis voice was demanding and she felt the familiar pulling in her chest, but she resisted.

"No. No way! I am not leaving you. You are hurt!" she said stubborn and tried to shake him off, but he just tried harder.

"You do not understand. He has a golden key, you are no match," Loki yelled and Lucy heard the concern and panic in his voice, "I should never have taken you to the battlefield in the first place. I am sorry! Please go back! I demand that you close the gate!"

"Loki!" Lucy interrupted him, "I am not going back."

"But Lucy, I know his spirit …" Loki said and his voice got frustrated, "his spirit is …"

"Gate of the war, I open you!" The opponent yelled and Lucys eyes widen. "_Ares_!"

The smoke rose from the ground and Lucy was frozen to the ground. A pair of dark wings shot out from the smoke. The next thing visible was his dark eye shining through the fog. As the smoke cleared his face appeared and a big grin was spread on the familiar face.

"It was about time you let me out, Wan," Ares said and spread his wings dangerously. Lucy's eyes stared in shock. Ares scanned the battlefield and his eyes stopped at Lucy and his whole body stiffens.

"L-Lucy, what are you –"

"Ares!" the man, that Ares had called Wan, interrupted, "Kill the girl."

* * *

**What did you think? Still worth writing? **

**hope you liked and please review. : D**


	4. All the way down, and up again

**Hey. ;) **

**Okay, I have really tried to get a chappy up as fast as possible *breathe, breathe*. Hope you like. : D**

* * *

Chapter 4.

"Ares?" Lucy asked disbelieving. The spirit looked at her with surprise, but then his features hardened and his eyes went blank, but Wan had already seen his change in expression.

"Do you know her?" Wan asked.

"Never seen her before," Ares said without hesitation.

"Ares!" Loki yelled and got to his knees. Ares eyes turned to Loki and his eyes dug into his. Lucy knew that Ares always had wanted to fight Loki. He almost forgot about his orders and attacked Loki, but then he shook his head and turned toward his real opponent again.

"What are you waiting for," Wan said impatiently. Ares clenched his teeth.

"Sorry Lucy," he mumbled and in a split second his wings shot backwards and suddenly his fist was very close. Lucy didn't knew what hit her before her body landed flat on the ground and all air was pushed out of her lungs. She turned her head and saw Lokis mouth form her name, but it was like the time had slowed down. She looked back up and saw Ares stand over her. He looked like a little child that had done something wrong, but when he realized she was looking at him, and his eyes darkened.

His hand closed around her neck and pulled her to her feet.

"Ares! Let her go!" Lokis voice yelled and echoed in her head. She wished Loki would stop screaming; her head was about to explode. Ares hand held tightly around her neck, but it wasn't her neck that hurt, more her legs that had started spinning, or her head that didn't get enough blood. She tried to hold herself up by clenching around Ares hands that held her neck. She was so weak. Loki had no more magic to give her.

"Lucy Close the gate! Close the goddanm gate!" Loki yelled. Even if Lucy had wanted it, she had no control anymore. Her body was useless like a doll, and her vision was turning darker. She opened her mouth to force some oxygen in, but it only resulted in useless rasping gasps.

She tried to focus her eyes on Ares, but they kept looking upward. At last she forced her eyes on him. His face was expressionless, but when she looked him in the eyes he pressed his lips tightly together.

Suddenly a rush of wind sounded. Ares eyes yanked from Lucys, and then something weird happened. Ares eyes were locked on the attack, but he didn't try to dodge, he didn't even move his feet when a wave of ice, fire and magic was shooting toward him. Lucy never saw the attacks strike, she didn't even remember hitting the ground.

"CLOSE THE GATE!"

* * *

After that everything got very quiet. All the noise, speed and action slowed down. Lucy had closed her eyes and felt the soft touch of water on her lids. Her hair spread out, and it was like gravity had stopped existing. Her arms floated gently in the cool liquid and her fingers curled relaxed. Her body was so heavy, but yet floated so gently.

"_Lucy,_" A soft voice whispered. Lucy whimpered and touched her neck. The pressure was still painful and her eyes watered under her closed eyelids.

"It hurts," she said and her voice seemed so childish.

"_Open your eyes_," the voice told her, "_breathe. You can breathe._"

Lucy obeyed and opened her eyes slightly. She really was floating, on the bottom of a sea. A black sea, everything was very dark, except a few bubbles that came up from the invisible bottom. A woman was floating above her. She looked like something taken out of a fairy tale. Her hair, skin and clothes were all white and shined brightly. She had a pair of large wings, but they didn't look like Ares' at all. They were large, with soft white feathers that moved gently in the water. She was completely white, except a pair of heavenly blue eyes that looked at her softly.

"An angel?" Lucy thought out loud. The woman's lips parted in a smile that showed her beautiful white teeth.

"_My name is Hygieia,_" she explained, "_I am the daughter of ´the god of medicine´. I promise you will get better._"

"I did it again. Didn't I?" Lucy said and if she hadn't been underwater the tears would have streamed from her eyes, "I made everybody worry, and … and even failed. Even as a spirit." She didn't know why she said that to this strange woman. She didn't know her, but something about her was so calm and familiar.

"_And yet you made Ares hesitate to kill,_" she whispered, "_The god of war_"

"But he did," Lucy said and rubbed her eyes, they were turning itchy, "he killed me … or he would have … am I dead? I don't know anything!" Hygieia made a little laughter that made Lucy even more curtain that she _was_ an angel.

"_You are not dead, Lucy Heartphilia,_" she said gently. Lucy wasn't even surprised that she knew her name, "_you still have things to do in the living world_."

"What could I possibly –"

"_Believe in yoursel_f," Hygieia said and made a smooth hand movement, she made bubbles consume them both. Lucy wanted to ask her more, but suddenly she felt really sleepy and her eyes closed once more.

_You still have things to do in the living world.

* * *

_

"Come on, kid," she heard a familiar voice mumbled, it seemed so far away, "don't die on me now." Baldur? Yes, it was definitely him. She felt his huge palm on her forehead, feeling temperature. Her whole body ached and hurt, but she managed to open her eyes a little, but she had to close them immediately again, when the light threatened by burned her eyes out. Baldur had seen the movement.

"Lucy?" he exclaimed and hurried to turn off the light, "come on, open your eyes." Now the sound was clear.

She tried again, and found it a little easier, but the sun still shined through the thin curtain.

"You sure made us worry," he said and grabbed her shoulder so powerfully that she had to grit her teeth together. Lucy felt dizzy, and then something else. Sick. She put a hand over her mouth and widen her eyes. Baldur hurried to help her sit up.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Lucy made a sickening moan.

"Oh!" Baldur said surprised and hurried to get a paper bag - and just in time. Lucy felt her stomach crumble and yellow liquid appeared in her mouth. She held the paper bag up and felt her shoulders shake. Baldur hurried to gather her hair in a ponytail with his hand and used the other one to pat her lightly on the back.

"It's okay," he whispered and didn't seem repulsed at all. Just worried, like a concerned big brother. Lucy felt the tears stream down her cheeks. She felt so small and disgusting.

When she was done Baldur hurried to take the bag and went downstairs to trash it. Lucy clenched her fists and let her hair fall down her face to hide as much as possible. The tears kept falling, but she was silent.

When Baldur came back he hurried toward her and grabbed her hand.

"Lucy? Lucy, look at me," he said and she forced herself to look at him, His eyes were calm and protective, "it is okay. You are okay. Loki won't summon you into battles anymore. You are going to be just fine, and guess what. The Switch document runs out in 10 hours, you will be back to normal." His hand went down his pocket and he pulled a white tissue up, "isn't that great, huh?"

Lucy took the tissue and wiped her tears away. Then she tried to smile and Baldurs face lit up. He patted her on the head and stood up.

"I have to go, okay?" he was suddenly unsure again, "My master is on a mission, and he will probably summon me soon. Are you – are you going to be okay?"

Lucy nodded, but suddenly her eyes turned blank. _Gate of the spirits! I open you! Lucy! _It was Lokis voice, but it seemed almost desperate and panicking.

"Loki," Lucy whispered, she couldn't even recognize her own voice. Baldur flickered by the sound. His lips pulled in a warm smile.

"Guess somebody is worried about you," he said and crossed his arms, "what are you waiting for. Go!" Lucy felt the tears come up again. She jumped from her bed and Baldur made a surprised sound when her body pressed into his. She felt even smaller in his huge arms.

"Thank you," she whispered and more tears appeared and soaked his shirt. She realized he wasn't wearing his armor, but a red shirt, it was weird, but easier to hug.

"Oh man, stop those waterworks," he said and stretched her an arms length out, "we can't let your _master_ see you like that." He brushed her tears away, she let him, when he was done he looked at her again, like an artist judging his work, "that's better, now, lets not let poor concerned Loki wait any longer."

Lucy felt the smoke appear around her. She held Baldurs eyes as long as she could. He send her a warm smile before she disappeared.

* * *

"Lucy!" Loki yelled and embraced her before the smoke had even cleared completely. She clenched her teeth in pain, but tried not to make it too visible, "I have tried to summon you all day, but you didn't show up … I thought. I thought you were dead!"

His voice was panicking and he reminded Lucy of a kid. It was weird to see Loki like this.

"I'm okay," she mumbled and realized it was the second sentence she had said since she woke up. Her voice was still weak and rasping.

"You sound awful," Loki said concerned and helped her sitting on the bed. Now she finally had a chance to look around her. She was in her own apartment, it smelled of cup noodles. Was that the only thing Loki ate? She scanned the room and sure enough the room was filled with open cup noodles and water bottles. She wanted to kill him, but when she looked back at his face, she sighed and softened.

"Are you really okay?" he asked and looked up and down her, probably expecting a to find some kind of bandage or heavy injury, but weirdly enough she looked completely fine.

"Yeah, it's just my voice-"

"Did you lose your voice!"

"No no no! I just woke up. That's all," she tried to explain.

"Ares, that –" Loki didn't seem to find a good swearword, so he just sighed and took Lucys hands in his, "I wont let you go back, I will keep you here for the next 10 hours."

"Loki you can't," Lucy said and pulled her hands back, "you were seriously injured too. You don't have that much magic."

"I don't care."

"But I do. I wont let you die because of your concern for me," Lucy said stubbornly and tried to sound strong, but it was hard with her worn-out voice.

"Ares is in the spirit world!" Loki yelled.

"I have Baldur!" she yelled back.

"Baldur?" Loki said and seemed surprised.

"That's were I live, with Baldur," Lucy explained. Loki pressed his lips tightly together, "oh god!" Lucy exclaimed and rolled her eyes, "Loki, there is nothing! He is like a brother to me!"

"I don't want you to go back!" Loki said and tried to sound final.

"Loki, don't be so worried," Lucy said and laid each hand on his cheeks. His body stiffens, and Lucy captured his eyes with her own, "just give me … 7 hours."

"That's too long," Loki said and knew he was defeated, but he still had a chance to get more time.

"No, you wont be able to hold me here for more than 3 hours," Lucy said and tried to make him worry about himself, but it seemed impossible.

"5 hours!" Loki insisted.

"No."

"6 hours!"

"No."

"Lucy, please!" his voice was begging, but Lucy shook her head.

"6 and a half!"

"It will be 8 if you don't stop," Lucy said and let her hands fall from his face.

"Fine," Loki said and his eyes lowered. Pain and rejection shone from his face and Lucy felt really uncomfortable. She put a hand on his arm that was hanging like a dolls.

"It's not a goodbye, Loki," she tried to explain, but he just turned away. She sighed and got ready to go back. The smoke rose from the ground and she felt her feet tickle lightly. The smoke seemed to wake Loki up; he jumped to his feet and reached out after her.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed and grabbed her arm. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. Lucy opened her eyes in surprise and stood frozen in the moment. Her feet were about to disappear and Loki didn't let go of her before the last second. The last thing she saw before she disappeared was the forced smile on Lokis face and his lips miming the words, _I love you._

_

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_

**This is a very LokiXLucy chapter, but Ares WILL show up again - yeah, sorry the drama isn't over. : P **

**Thanks for all your awesome reviews (once again). ^_^/ **


	5. Behind locked doors

**Hey. ;) **

**A little short chapter - hope you'll like. More is being written, but it's time for school again and yeeeeah ... you know how it is. ^_O/**

* * *

Chapter 5.

Baldur had almost reacted the same as Loki; "_What! You came back! it's not save …_", so she had had to give him the same speech, about; how Loki was hurt and couldn't keep her in their world for too long.

Lucy was now sitting in the room after strict orders. It was here she had woken up for the first time and it already felt familiar. Baldur was downstairs and cooking lunch. He had told her not to move.

"8 hours," Lucy mumbled and looked at a little blue clock on the wall. She pulled her legs up on the bed and buried her head in her knees. She wasn't scared, she wasn't even concerned about her safety, she was just SO unbelievably BORED! And that was worse than any fear.

"44, 43, 42, 41," she counted the seconds. She sighed of herself, she couldn't stay here. She loved her room, and Baldurs little house, but she had to get out. Now. If she had had her keys she could have summoned Plue. She jumped out of the bed and hurried to the door and pulled down the (old-fashioned) doorknob. She made an unsatisfied groan when she found out it was locked.

"Baldur!" she yelled down.

"What?" he yelled back.

"The door is locked," she complained.

"That's kind of the point," he yelled back and she could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Well, open it, I need some fresh air," Lucy said and tried to control her voice.

"You can get all the air you want in …" there was a short pause, "7 hours and 57 minutes."

"Baldur!" Lucy yelled and kicked the door in anger. She heard him laugh, and just got even angrier. She turned around to the window and pulled the curtains away. ´He had forgot all about the window, ´ she thought satisfied and opened it. The cool air rushed in and she inhaled gladly.

She looked down and bit her lip. She hadn't realized how far down the ground was, and the wall didn't have anything to grab, now she knew why Baldur hadn't secured the window, only a fool would try to climb down here. She shook her head of herself.

"Lucy, you are crazy," she told herself and opened the window wider to climb out. Her hands held tightly around the window, while she swung her legs out and looked back one last time. She almost felt bad for Baldur, but something else inside her was excited to sneak out - and she only got the change to be a spirit once (she didn't expect Loki to let her ´Switch´ again), why waste it here.

_´Please don't slip. Please don't slip. Please don't slip,´ _Her head screamed of her and her hands tighten around the window. She lowered her body out of the window, so she hung in her arms. Her legs swung up and down to find something to stand on, but the wall was completely flat. Maybe this wasn't a good of an idea. She tried to pull herself up again, but suddenly her hand slipped.

She opened her mouth, but before she could scream, a hand covered her mouth and wrapped the other hand around her waist to support her. She widen her eyes. She hung in the air. Lucy was too surprised that gravity had stopped working that she didn't struggle when her savior lowered her gently to the ground.

"So clumsy," she heard the familiar voice mumble. She turned on her heel.

"Ares?" she said breathless. She must have looked very terrified, because his eyebrows pulled together in a mix of anger and pain. He crossed his arm and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, I wont kill you … for now," he said and turned around to leave.

"W-wait!" Lucy said. Her voice sounded different, panicking. Why did she even care what he did? He was the reason Loki was so worried, and he had almost killed her! Why didn't she turn around and ran away while yelling, "Stay away monster!"

"What do you want?" he said without turning.

"I have no idea," she said. It was true. A rush of wind sounded and before Lucy knew it Ares had her pressed up against the wall. His hand was behind her head so she didn't got hurt, but the air was still punched out of her and she exclaimed a surprised ´ugh! ´.

"You have _no idea_," he repeated her words. He placed each of his hands on each side of her and made it impossible to escape, "I could kill you, right now. My master asked me to do it, he would be very pleased with me – he would even reward me."

"And yet you didn't make me fall," Lucy snapped back.

"Maybe I wanted to kill you myself," he argued. His eyes shone with amusement.

"But you haven't done it yet," Lucy said and Ares seemed to get annoyed with her calmness. His dark eyes dug into Lucys, but she didn't blink. "Why do you want me dead?"

"I don't," he admitted, "my master wants it, and I will obey."

"But why?" Lucy asked.

"More golden keys," Ares said matter-of-factly, "he wants Loki and all the others."

"Loki?" Lucy said and for the first time her face changed into concern.

"Yeah," Ares said and let his arms drop down the sides, "he wants all the golden keys – you have a lot of them, you know."

"That's a lousy reason, your master is …"

"Don't!" Ares said furious, "if you talk bad about him, I really _will_ kill you."

"But can't you see that he is doing something wrong? He should earn them," she tried to explain, but Ares eyes just turned darker.

"He do," Ares insisted, "you don't know anything."

"Then tell me," Lucy said and stepped closer to him, but he just stepped two steps back. His eyes had become serious and it looked like he actually thought about telling it.

"Lucy!" Baldurs voice yelled from the window. Both Ares and Lucy looked up. Baldurs head was looking out the window, when he saw them his features stiffen.

"What are you doing here, you traitor! Didn't I tell you to stay away?" Baldur yelled at Ares. Lucy looked at Ares with surprise. She had been so sure that they were friends. Ares always came to Baldurs house to eat and sleep. Had she just ruined their friendship?

"Didn't you hear me?" Baldur yelled again and now his eyes narrowed. Ares eyes were big in shock, but then he lowered his head. His hair fell down and covered his eyes.

"You were lucky that he came," Ares whispered, Lucy looked at him with sad eyes, "if he hadn't come I would have surely killed you, right?"

"Ares-" Lucy was cut off by his wings folding out in full length and with a huge stroke of his wings he disappeared with incredible speed.

Lucy's hair blew back and she looked after him with a hand over her heart. _7 hours and 30 minuets left._

_

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_

**_What did you think? : D PLease review. ^__**


	6. Taking the hand

**Hi, ;)**

**Finally a new chapter up. :) **

* * *

Chapter 6.

Loki sat in a chair with his hands covering his eyes. He was so worried about Lucy that he could scream, but he had promised not to summon her yet. He looked at the pink clock on her wall. He sat in her room that he had used the past couple of days. Maybe he should clean it before she came back – that would at least give him something to do.

"Hallo Loki," a smooth voice suddenly said and he turned around with a swing on his heel.

"Who's there?" he said and looked around in the empty apartment. A silent laughter echoed around him.

"You have no idea how special you are," the voice said. Loki couldn't identify the source, so he backed up against the wall, so the person at least couldn't grab him from the back.

"You are a golden key, Loki," the voice continued, "you should know how many celestial mages would love your partnership."

"Sorry, not interested," Loki said quietly and his eyes scanned around for some kind of movement.

"You don't have to be," the voice laughed, "If I kill you owner, I can make a contract with you easily, and you have no right to refuse a fair contract."

"Maybe not, but it's not going to happen!" Loki snapped, "Because my owner is not going to die!" he was starting to lose patience.

"We'll see," the voice said and everything suddenly became silent.

"What do you mean?" Loki yelled out, but this time he heard no answer. He clenched his teeth and started looking around in the apartment, but there was no sigh of anyone. Suddenly he heard a weird noise. _Tic tock … tic tock. _

"What the-" he listened after the source and traced it to a drawer with Lucy's socks. He opened it and saw a little metal thing between the pink and purple socks.

"Uh, come on!" Loki said and yanked the bomb out of the sock and with as much force he could manage he threw it out of the window. It landed on street outside Lucy's window and exploded loudly. The road shattered in a million pieces where it had landed, and Loki felt the heat from the explosion all the way from the street. Luckily no one had gone for a walk.

* * *

"Baldur please, I am really okay!" Lucy insisted while Baldur checked her arm for bruises and wounds, "Ares actually saved me from a nasty fall."

"Why would you even _try_ to sneak out?" Baldur asked quietly. Lucy smiled guiltily.

"I just wanted to see some more of the town, I guess" she answered, "I mean I have only …" she looked at the clock, "… less than 7 hours left."

"Maybe you're right," Baldur mumbled.

"So you will let me look around?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"Yep, and I'll come with you," he said and straightened his back.

"Great," Lucy said – to be with Baldur was better than not going at all.

* * *

"Ares," a voice yelled at the spirit. He was sitting on a rock and looked at the green sunset (yep, it's green in this world). He rested his head on the palm and didn't even turn his head by the sound of the voice.

"What do you want Mania," Ares asked without even turning the slightest.

"Don't be like that," she answered and danced toward him so her torn black dress danced around her pale legs, "I just wanted to say hi."

Ares looked at her with cold eyes. Her black hair curled down her pale face, and her dark eyes stared at him with amusement, she was the Goddess of Insanity. Of course she had sensed his negative feelings by now. She was another of Wan's spirit and Ares ´comrade´. _Yeah right_.

"You look like you are being consumed by paranoia," Mania said with a smile.

"Is that your way of saying ´what's wrong´" Ares asked and lifted an eyebrow.

"Sure," she said and tilted her head, "what could worry your cold heart?"

"Mania?" Ares asked and pulled his eyebrows together. He couldn't believe he asked her this, "do you think that us spirits …"

"What?" she said impatient and stopped in the middle of a dance move.

"Do you think we can fall in love?" Ares asked.

"That's a stupid question," she said and twirled his hair around her finger, "we can fell lust, so I guess we can feel love too."

"I know that _spirits_ generally can fall in love," Ares said and punched her hand away, "I just mean… us…"

"Evil spirits?" Mania finished and smirked.

"I didn't say that," Ares said annoyed.

"But that's what you mean, right?" Mania said and took his silence as a ´yes´, "what has happened to you?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ares snapped.

"Have you turned … soft?" she asked and wrapped her hands around his neck from the back.

"What? NO!" he disagreed and tried to shake her off, but she just tightened her grip and started laughing loudly.

"That is just _adorable,_" she said and rested her cheek in his hair.

"Gezz! Let go!" Ares said and with more force he pushed her away. She laughed amused and started to dance around where she had left off.

"Tell me, Ares, dearest," she said and stopped her dance, "what are you doing here, outside the spirit town? Have you become an outcast too?"

"Not exactly," Ares answered and continued his glaring at the sunset, "I just needed some time to think."

"Don't tell me," she said and danced toward him again and blocked his view, "that our own little God of War have fallen in love."

"S-shut up!" he said flustered, "you have no right to talk to me like that!"

"HA! You are! That's _hilarious_," she laughed and danced around again, "Then you shouldn't talk with me, but my sister Aphrodite."

"I guess this is a bad place to think," Ares finally decided and got ready to leave, but suddenly a hand grabbed his.

"It's that _fake spirit, _right? Loki's owner," Mania asked and smiled devilish.

"How did you-"

"Not important," she cut him off, "what is important is that I can help you."

"What do you mean?" Ares asked and narrowed his eyes.

"She use _Switch_ to stay here, huh?" Mania asked and Ares nodded, "I know how you can keep her here forever." Ares sighed loudly.

"Like I would do that?" he said and pulled his hand back, "it's her life, I can't force her to stay." Mania laughed.

"You really have changed," she said and pulled her shoulders up and down, "but if you ever change your mind, just bring her here – I'll wait."

"Goodbye, Mania," Ares said with a cold expression.

"I'll see you later, Ares." She whispered.

* * *

"Cancer?" Lucy said surprised and ran toward a hair salon in the spirit town. The large crab-looking spirit was cutting someone's hair inside. Baldur hurried after her, and looked like a concerned older brother.

"That's one of my spirits," Lucy said amused and pointed at the spirit.

"Really?" Baldur asked, "He give good haircuts."

"I know," Lucy said and smiled. She remembered how many times she had let him cut her own hair.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she suddenly saw a black wing from the corner of her eye and turned instinctively. Baldur looked at her with a confused expression.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing… nothing at all." She answered and had suddenly lost interest in the hair salon.

"Um, Lucy," Baldur suddenly said, "You'll have to walk back to the house now."

"What do you mea… oh," smoke had started to rise around the spirit. His eyes were filled with worry. "Duty calls?"

"Yeah," he answered, "can I trust that you go back to the house?"

"Sure," Lucy answered, _but I didn't say when. _

"Thank you," Baldur said and looked more relieved, "I'll be right back." that was his last words before he disappeared in a flash of light.

When the smoke was all gone Lucy turned on her heel and ran toward the place were she had seen the wing. She didn't know why, she should just keep away from that annoying spirit. She rounded a corner and almost screamed in surprise when the spirit stood right around the corner.

"GOSH! You surprised me," she said and held a hand over her heart.

"You ran toward me," Ares responded, but didn't seem surprised.

"I wanted to make sure you was okay," she answered and regained her normal breathing pattern.

"Don't worry about me," he said and narrowed his eyes.

"No problem," she said with a smile, but he cut her off.

"No I mean it, really _don't worry about me_," he said and pronounced the words clearly. Lucy sighed.

"You're unbelievable," she said and put a hand on the hip, "War God or not – you are a pain."

"It's not that easy to be a golden key," Ares bragged and straightened his back with a smile, "when you are as awesome, which _I_ am, you live life hardcore!"

"Yeah I'm sure," Lucy said and rolled her eyes, "you don't have to be so self-centered."

"You're just jealous, because you don't have me as your spirit," Ares teased.

"I _would_ like you as my spirit," Lucy said with a smile.

"Huh?" Ares said and lost his spark for a second.

"Sure I would like you as my spirit," Lucy said, "attitude or not" she added.

"Hmm…" Ares said and thought about it, "I need to show you something."

"Show me what?" she asked curious.

"It's outside town…" he said and Lucy thought she saw the guilt shine from his eyes for just a second, but she could have been mistaken.

"I don't know if Baldur would approve of that," Lucy said and scratched her cheek, "actually he would kill me."

"It's fast," Ares insisted. That surprised Lucy; normally he would just have responded ´Whatever´ or ´your loss´. Something was different about him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"P-please," Ares said and struggled getting that exact word out. He stretched his hand toward her. She hesitated, but then took it.

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**Whatcha think? : D Review please. **


	7. Trust the liar

**New chapter finally up. Hope you like! : D **

* * *

Chapter 7.

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked and looked up at Ares. He hadn't said a word since they had left the town. Lucy felt awkward in his arms, he was holding her bride-style while they were flying, but he didn't seem to have a problem with it. Lucy tried, without luck, to see through his expressionless face, but he was as made out of stone.

"Lucy?" he finally said without moving his head the slightest.

"Huh? What?" she said surprised and looked up at him.

"Do you like the spirit town?" he asked.

"I do," she said without hesitation.

"That's good," he said, and seemed to get little less tense.

"But to be honest, I'm looking forward to get back to my friends again," she corrected herself with a smile and thought back to all her great memories. He was suddenly quiet again and she sighed. She expected to see his same expressionless face, but when she looked back up at him, it had changed slightly. His eyebrows had pulled together and made an (for him) unusual face.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked surprised.

"Don't ask," he cut her off and his face straightened out.

"Please tell me what's wrong," she said, but it was obvious that he ignored that, "_or_ even better, tell me where you're kidnapping me to."

"I have a friend outside town, her name is…" he trailed himself off, "anyway, she has something I want to show you."

"What is it?" Lucy asked curious. Ares eyes flickered and he tried to come up with something reliable.

"A spell…" _not a lie. _

"What kind of spell?" Lucy said and suddenly became suspicious.

"It's a secret," Ares said and tried to make his words sound final, but Lucy wasn't done with him.

"Ares, where are you taking me?" She said and got tense in his arms.

"I – I can't explain, right now," it was the first time she had seen the spirit get uneasy.

"Put. Me. Down!" she pronounced the words clearly and tried to put as much force into them as possible, but to her surprise the spirit smiled by those words, "what's funny?"

"Oh it's… nothing," he said and kept the smirk plastered on his face.

"Tell me or I'll…"

"Don't even start," he interrupted and smiled down at her, "I was just thinking that you really don't want me to put you down."

"What are you-" Lucy looked down and stopped herself. The ground under them was completely black. It looked like some sort of black mist, "Where the heck are we?"

"There are different spirit towns in the world, this darkness is what separates them," he said and looked at her shocked expression with clear amusement.

"Are you serious?" Suddenly all her fright were gone and replaced by interest, "can you have spirits from more towns? Why is the ground black? How can your friend live outside the town? Does she live in the dark? How does it work? Why…"

"Stop stop stop!" Ares said and covered her mouth with his palm, "too many questions at once."

"Yuu ar anuyin' mi (*you're annoying me)" she mumbled between his fingers and stared at him with an irritated glare.

"I know," he said and smiled, "I'll answer all your questions soon - but we have arrived."

"Here?" Lucy asked and saw only the darkness under them.

"Yep!" he told her and dived down in the mist. The wind pulled in Lucy's hair and she tightened her grip around Ares.

* * *

Loki lay on the ground and looked up at the sky where a few sparkling stars had appeared and clenched his fist. He looked at his clock again, but to his annoyance it hadn't changed much since the last 27 seconds. _5 hours and 15 minutes. _

"I don't care anymore!" he said to himself and pulled the key out, just the hand movement made him bite his teeth together in pain. His shoulder was still sore, but he honestly didn't care anymore.

"There's a change in plans, kid!" a voice suddenly said and Loki sat up in shock, and felt a pair of hands grab him from the back. He struggled, but the hands just tightened their hold. He turned his head as much as he could and got a look at the shining armor.

"Baldur!" he hissed.

"I'm very sorry, Loki," Baldur mumbled before he hit a certain spot on Lokis shoulder that made him black out. "I truly am sorry."

* * *

"Hallo, Lucy Heartphilia," the pale girl said and danced toward Lucy with her elegant spins. Lucy looked at the girl with wonder; she didn't look like any of the other spirits at all. She looked kind of human. Her dark hair curled down her shoulders and except the unusual pale skin, she didn't look strange at all.

"Hallo…um..."

"Mania," the girl finished her sentence and gave a brilliant smile. Lucy was about to choke in air by the sound of the name.

"The god of…"

"Insanity." Mania finished again and smiled wider, "don't worry, I'm not as crazy as the rumors say." Ares put a hand on Lucy's shoulder, but she pushed it off – even though she didn't find it all that uncomfortable, but it just felt awkward in front of the strange girl.

"Are you… a golden key?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Once," Mania said and looked down, "now I'm just an outcast."

"Oh, I'm sorry, what happened?" Lucy asked. Manias face brightens in amusement, but Ares hurried to cut her off.

"That can wait for another time," he said fast and turned to Mania, "I wanted to show Lucy _your spell_."

"What is this _spell_?" Lucy asked and looked back and forth between the spirits. Mania giggled and spun around a few times before she pulled something out from the many layers of her dress. She handed Lucy the object and the young girl studied it interested.

"It's beautiful," she said. It was a little golden box, decorated with many colored rocks and pearls.

"Open it," Mania told her with a smirk. Lucy did as she was told, and saw a small ring shine at the bottom of it. The ring matched the box perfectly with its golden surface and colored stones. She gasped for a second.

"Put it on," Ares encouraged. She looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"I can accept this," she told him, "it's too much!"

"Trust me, it will make me much happier than you," he smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

* * *

"How could you?" Loki said angrily and stared at Baldur with as much hatred as he could manage. Wan had commanded Baldur to lock Loki in and keep an eye on him. Right now he had been brought underground somewhere and bond to a chair in a strange room made out of four walls and a chair in the middle (they had blindfolded him on the way, so he had no clue where in the world he was).

"It's more complicated, Loki, I _am_ really sorry," Baldur said and looked like he had just been punched in the stomach.

"I. Don't. Care!" Loki said harsh.

"Wan is my owner, what was I suppose to do?" Baldur said and clenched his fists, "I did _everything_ I could. Wan always tried to summon me on the must random times, so Ares could finish Lucy off – which he could be doing right now – so I banned him from my house to stop it... without going against direct orders of course. You should know how much it hurts to go against orders from your owner… even if it's indirectly."

Loki clenched his fists. He did know that feeling: it felt like committing a horrible crime. It felt like you went against you best friend or lover, even if you didn't like your owner or his/her choices.

"You have to let me get Lucy's key back," Loki said with a calmer voice.

"I can't, Wan has it," Baldur mumbled, "but he can't use it anyway – she's a Switch-spirit, only her former spirit can use her."

"That's not the problem," Loki continued, "She has to be summoned back soon."

"I'm sorry."

"Come on Baldur," Loki begged, "I would fall to my knees, but I'm tied to a chair."

"Loki if I could…"

Suddenly Baldur was cut off when the door shattering to a million pieces. The dust cleared and two silhouettes showed in the doorway.

"We need _him_ to bring Lucy back!" A high-pitched voice cried out and pointed at Baldur and Loki.

"Gezz… you really overdo everything," another voice sighed behind him.

"Natsu! Gray!" Loki said surprised. The pink-haired boys face spread in a grin by the sound of his name and he twirled a familiar key around his finger. Lucy's key.

"We need to get her back here, soon! You have to give me the key," Loki yelled at Natsu.

"Got it!" he said and grabbed the key tightly.

"I wont let you," Baldur said and got in position toward the two mages.

"A knight?" Natsu said confused.

"He's a spirit," Gray said matter-of-factly and got ready to fight too.

* * *

Lucy held the box closer to her face, to look at the detailed ring; it was absolutely beautiful. She had to admit that she would love to put it on her finger.

"It's my present to you," Ares said and started to get impatient, "you can put it on."

"Are you really sure?" Lucy asked a little excited.

"Yes, just put it on already," Ares said and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, if you're sure," Lucy said and reached down and took the jewel up from the decorated box. Her smile disappeared when she held it up. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Something's wrong," she said and turned toward Ares. Her eyes were filled with confusion, "dark magic?"

"What are you talking about?" Ares said and lifted an eyebrow, he was an excellent liar and impossible to see through, "it's a perfectly normal ring that I got for you, are you going to put it on or not?"

"Something is wrong," she said and studied it further. It looked harmless, but something about it made her tremble slightly.

"Nothing's wrong," Ares said and crossed his arms, "are you doubting me?"

"No," she said honestly. Ares flicked back by the direct answer and moaned annoyed. He reached for her hand.

"Here, let me put it on your finger," he said and took the ring from her hand. His hand stretched toward her in a demanding manner, "come on! Give me your hand."

"I don't know about this," Lucy mumbled but let him take her hand. Ares hesitated when he held her small hand in his palm. She trusted him so completely. Why? How could she? Was she so blind?

He was about to change her whole life for his own benefit, but she didn't seem to suspect the least. She had let him lead her out in the middle of nowhere and hadn't even doubted him when she saw his crazy ´friend ´ Mania. How could she be so stupid? So stupid…

* * *

**Yup, me and Cliffhangers are best friends. : D**

**I promise to have a new chapter up soon, and I'll even make a deadline. I'll have it up before this friday. ^_^/ Review please! : D **


	8. Curses!

**Hi! : D**

**I would have updated yesterday, but my internet... do I even have to say it *sigh*, but I'm still on time. yay! ^_^/ . Anywaaaay... hope you like. :D **

* * *

Chapter 8.

"Ice Maker, Lance!" Gray yelled and a weapon of ice shot toward Baldur. The spirit narrowed his eyes and slammed his fist right into the attack without hesitation.

"What?" Gray said shocked when his attack shattered like glass. Natsu ran past him with one burning fist and Lucy's key clenched in his other.

"My tur-ARGH!" he hadn't even got his confident sentence out before Baldur (somehow) were above him and had crashed him to the floor with a violent kick. He cried out in surprise when he landed on the floor and his palm opened. The key fell out, and slid across the floor. It stopped a little out of Loki's range.

"No!" Loki yelled from his chair and tried harder to get loose. Baldur turned his head and started walking toward the small item. Loki panicked and pushed his body forward so he landed on with his face on the floor. He snaked his body toward the key and because he was closer he managed to get it between his teeth.

"Loki!" Baldur said angrily and lifted Loki from the ground (with chair and everything).

"I wunt lit ju hav it, *I wont let you have it," he mumbled with the key in his mouth. Baldur sighed and with a pained expression he reached out toward the key between the stubborn boys teeth.

"Ice Maker, Hammer!"

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

Two attacks sounded at the same time and Baldur was taken off guard and lost his hold around Loki to dodge the attacks. All air was punched out of Loki's lungs, but he still kept the key between his teeth.

"Gage uf the spritish, I opon thee, Luci," he yelled the spell out, with the key still balancing in his mouth. Nothing happened.

_I can't say it right. Not with this in my mouth, _he thought and looked around. Baldur, Gray and Natsu had already started a wild fight. If he was silent he could maybe sneak out of the door…

"Where do you think you're going?" a cold voice asked.

"Eh?" Loki exclaimed and looked up at the person blocking his way. There in front of him stood Wan with a very _pissed off _expression.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked when Ares hesitated. He shook his head and came back to reality.

"Nothing…" he mumbled and looked at the ring for a long second before he gently pressed it down her slim finger. Lucy gasped when the metal touched her and yanked her hand back like she had been burned.

"What is this?" she asked and looked at the ring shining from her finger. Mania giggled quietly behind her.

"Now you will stay here," Ares said with a straight face, "you wont ever leave me."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy said and tried to pull the ring off, but it was as glued to her skin, "Ares! What have you… done…" she suddenly felt very dizzy and her eyes swam back and forth.

"I feel … weird," she whispered and collapsed to the floor.

"Huh? … Lucy!" Ares exclaimed surprised and caught the blonde girl before she hit the floor. He held her for a second and didn't know what to do. Then he turned to Mania.

"What did you do?" he asked and his voice turned cold. Mania giggled amused.

* * *

"Foolish little brat!" Wan spitted at Loki and kicked him as hard as he could. Loki flew to the other end of the room with the key tightly between his teeth, but when he hit the wall his eyes widen and he gasped in pain. His chair shattered around him and his bonds loosen, but the key flew from his mouth and landed by Wan's feet with a metallic thud.

Wan laughed and picked it up.

"No…" Loki gasped and dragged himself up by the wall.

"Loki!" Gray and Natsu both yelled surprised, but in their lack of concentration Baldur hit them both powerfully and they both fell doll-ish to the ground.

"Stop!" Loki yelled and stared with as much hatred he could get out, on Wan who smiled amused, "They have nothing to do with-"

Loki was cut off when a strong force of blue magic pressed against his throat.

"You're tough… even as human," Wan said and walked toward him. Loki gasped for air and tried to struggle, but it was like moving in mud.

"I will look forward to get you as my spirit."

"Go… to… Hell," Loki managed to get out, before Wan's fist slammed him so hard that his vision blacked out for a few seconds. He gained consciousness after a few seconds. He now lay on the floor and gasped for air. He could see Wan's booths next to his face and to the other side he saw Baldur stand; His eyes were twisted in sadness and Loki felt so terribly bad for him.

Wan yanked him up by the collar and stared into his eyes. Loki still gasped for air and couldn't do anything, except glare angrily at Wan.

"You are not… going to touch her," Loki got out and his eyes hardened even more.

"You're perfectly right," Wan said with a smirk plastered on his arrogant face, "Mania and Ares are doing all the hard work for me."

"Ares?" Baldur gasped and his eyes became a mix of pain and concern. Loki knew why, him and Ares were best friends, even though they were complete opposites. It hurt Baldur terribly that Ares were forced to kill for Wan. It probably hurt Baldur more than Ares.

Then something suddenly hit Loki and his eyes widen.

"Did you say Mania?"

* * *

"Tell me what you did!" Ares said and punched Mania into the wall as powerfully as he could. Mania laughed even louder and walked closer to Ares.

"You made it too easy!" she whispered and giggled again, "Stupid love-struck idiot! The ring is cursed, she's going to die in minuets."

Ares eyes twisted in anger and his fist hit her with as much power as he could manage. Mania crashed into the wall again, and two stripes of blood ran down her forehead, but her smile remained.

Ares ran over and picked Lucy up from where he had put her down, and spread his wings to full length and flew with more speed than he had ever done before.

"I have to get her out of the spirit world," Ares whispered and clenched his teeth together. He had to find Baldur.

The wind hit his face like needles, but he ignored it and held a hand over Lucy's face to protect her from the whiplashes of wind. She breathed irregular and whispered silently, but Ares didn't stop to listen.

They arrived to Baldurs house faster than ever and Ares opened the door as forcefully as he could.

"Baldur!" He yelled and flew into the familiar kitchen, "Baldur? I need you frikin' help!" Ares started to look around, "don't say you have been summoned? Please be here… please attack me and say I'm not welcome… just be here." He mumbled to himself, but the spirit didn't appear.

"Damn it! What do I do?" he whispered and put Lucy down on a couch. She whimpered when he moved her and he looked panicking around. He looked down at her hand and kneeled down. He studied the ring for a second and then started to pull in it. It didn't move. He straightened up and dug his hands down his hair in frustration. He turned around and punched his fist into the wall so dust and rocks shattered around him. He held his fist still in the air for a second and breathed heavily.

"What am I suppose to do?" he whispered and clenched his teeth harder.

* * *

"She has surely cursed your little friend by now," Wan smiled and let Loki drop to the floor. Loki fell to his knees and stared at Wan for a second his eyes were filled with hatred, but then an idea popped into his mind and he turned to Baldur.

"You can release curses!" Loki said with shining eyes, "you could save her."

"Loki…" Baldur said and his shoulders fell even more, "I can't."

"You can! You have to, I don't care if he's your owner!" Loki yelled and gestured angrily to Wan.

"It's probably too late anyway," Baldur said with a sigh. Loki clenched his teeth and shook his head.

"No it's not! It's NOT!" he yelled and threw himself toward Wan and yanked the key out of his hand. Wan was taken off guard.

"H-hey!" he said shocked.

"Gate of the spirits I open thee, LUCY!"

* * *

**What did you think. I wrote it as quickly as I could. :) Review please. ^_^/ **


	9. Shared powers

Chapter 9.

Ares wandered restless back and forth the room with two fingers rubbing his chin in deep thoughts and his eyes were twisted in concentration. Lucy lay on the couch with pearl of sweat shining on her forehead. He had put her there, but now he had no idea what to do.

"What do I do?" Ares asked the air and walked quicker, "maybe I should kill Mania and stop the curse… no she doesn't make her own stuff… Should I cut off Lucy's finger?" he looked at Lucy from the corner for his eye, "I don't think that would be appreciated later. So what do I FRIKIN' DO?"

Suddenly the smell of smoke caught Ares attention. He looked over and realized that smoke had covered Lucy, but she didn't disappear, and he knew why.

Loki was obviously trying to summon her, but spirits couldn't go to the human world when their magic-level was at 0. Lucy's were probably -3 right now. He hurried over and laid his cool hand on her burning forehead.

"Lucy?" he whispered and kneeled beside her, "I could give you some of my magic," he whispered and removed a hair from her cheek, "I'm a golden key, so I could give you enough to get to the human-world without damaging myself but…" his eyes twisted in anger, "maybe you wouldn't come back."

Lucy whimpered in pain and Ares looked away.

"I have never done anything _noble _before," he said quietly, "why do I have to start now? Damn it!" he laid his hand on her forehead again and clenched his teeth. His hand started glowing and Lucy gasped in shock. Ares felt his magic being pulled out and he moaned in pain, but kept going.

Lucy's eyes opened slowly and she looked up at the spirit, with wonder painted on her face. Ares smiled relived down at her.

"Ares…" she whispered. She sounded like she had just slept for days, "what are you doing?"

"See you, Lucy, 'kay?" he said weakly and collapsed to his knees. His breaths were long and rasping.

"Ares!" Lucy yelled, but she was already being sucked into the stream of light. Heading for the human world.

* * *

Her eyes clenched together by the light and she covered her eyes. Someone yelled her name and it echoed in her head. She felt so weird. Her body felt strong and healthy, but her mind was panicking and flustered. What had Ares done to her? Someone yelled her name again.

"Lucy!" the voice yelled and she peeped out between her fingers, Loki were lying on the floor, his eyes were huge in horror, "what are you doing? Get up?" it took a while for the words to sink into her head. She pressed her hands to the floor and tried to lift her weight off the floor, but suddenly a huge hand picked her up. She looked into Wan's amused face when he held her up to examine her condition.

"No!" Loki's yell echoed in her head. She wish he would stop yelling, her head spun so terribly.

Baldur stood behind them. His face were filled with mixed feelings.

"Well, I see Mania's spell hasn't killed you _yet_," he put pressure on the last word and smirked. Lucy looked at him with lifeless eyes. She could hear the blood thunder in her skull, but she ignored it and focused in the strength Ares had given her.

"Let me… go," she hissed and grabbed around the arm holding her up.

"Lucy!" Loki yelled and tried to get back on his feet, but fell right back to the floor with a groan, "Just hold on a little while longer. You will be human again in… about an hour I think."

"She wont last that long," Wan said, but suddenly his expression changed, he stared into her eyes and narrowed his eyes in first surprise and then anger, "that useless spirit." Wan said angrily and threw Lucy to the ground with as much power as he could manage, "he gave you his powers, didn't he? Didn't he?" he said frustrated and lifted his leg to kick Lucy.

"Wai-" Loki yelled, but stopped himself in surprise. Lucy had grabbed Wan's foot, just before it touched her face. Her head were lowered and hid her expression. Wan tried to yank his leg back, but Lucy just tightens her grab.

"You hurt my friends," she whispered and looked up at him. Loki gasped in surprise. Her eyes had changed from their normal brown color to a shining yellow color. Wan tried harder to yank his foot back, but Lucy's expression just hardened.

"Ares gave me these powers," she said and her whole body started to shine, "I'm not going to waste them!"

"Y-you can't!" Wan said shocked.

"Ares… Baldur…" Lucy said the names slowly. Baldur lifted his head by the sound of his name, "Mania too… they are all your spirits, and you have used them for evil!"

"Let go, you psycho!" Wan yelled and fear now dripped from his voice.

"Let them go first," Lucy said and her hair lifted from her shoulders. Ares energy filled her whole being and she felt like laughing and smiling, but instead she held her straight face.

"No way!" Wan said and finally remembered that he was a mage. He formed his hands and a ball of magic appeared in his palm. Lucy looked up at him; her expression stayed the same, except from her eyes that slowly closed. At the second her eyelashes hit her cheek Wan shot backwards out of her hand with a scream in pain. His keys fell from his belt and made a metallic thud when they hid the ground.

Lucy hurried to her feet and took the keys from the floor and went to where Wan were lying. The powers filled her like a fire.

"Release them from their contract," she whispered.

"No," he said angrily and with shaking limbs came back to his feet. Lucy didn't try to stop him.

"Please," she whispered soft, but he kept his stubborn mask on.

"No! Baldur!" he yelled. Lucy felt a pair of strong hands grab her shoulders and turn her around. Baldur looked into her eyes and made no attempt to hide the pain when he saw his best friends powers shine through her eyes.

"It's enough Lucy, Ares didn't give you his powers to fight for us, he wanted you to stay alive, you waste them by fighting," he said, but Lucy just smiled to him.

"I know," she said and lifted her hands, "but I'm going to save you, no matter what." A beam of light shot from her hands and Baldur was blasted backwards. He gasped in surprise and smashed into the back wall.

Lucy turned to Wan again. He was trying to get to the door, but Lucy stopped by shooting a ball of energy very close to his face. He stopped with a gasp

"Let me go!" he demanded, but it was a weak attempt. Lucy's eyes had turned all golden now and her voice was almost mechanic.

"Release them from their contact," she said and her hair once again lifted from her shoulders.

* * *

Ares fell to the floor and gasped for air. He had given Lucy a lot of his magic, and it felt like she just kept taking. He held a hand over his heart to stop the pressure, but it wouldn't stop. He grew weaker and weaker.

"Lucy… stop," he whispered out loud, but he knew his voice couldn't reach her. He gasped for air again and reached for the table for support, but it tilted and Ares fell to the ground, and didn't get up.

* * *

Her powers felt amazing. It felt like a warm light that didn't only warm her muscles, but her mind too. She clenched her hands around Wan's shoulders. The man was strong, but she was stronger.

"S-stop it," Wan whispered. His eyes rolled to the back of his head by her touch and he moaned like a sick animal. Lucy didn't fell any pity for him. He tried to mumble something, but Lucy had already drained the last energy out of his body. When she let go, he fell like a doll to the ground. Dead.

"L-Lucy?" Loki's voice suddenly said. He didn't try to call her over, it was more a question. She turned toward him, her eyes still shining golden.

"Y-you killed him," Loki informed her. Lucy sighed and nodded. She looked back to find Baldur, but he had somehow disappeared. Natsu and Gray lay unconscious on the floor and hadn't seen anything.

"And now I'll make a contract with Baldur and Ares," she told him and went toward Wan's corps to take his keys.

"Lucy, wait!" Loki said and tried his best to get back on his feet, "You are not yourself. I said, wait!"

"But I am," Lucy whispered and turned toward him, her head were slightly bent to the side and her eyes were sleepy and confused.

"Who am I?" Loki asked and walked with swaying steps toward her. Her eyes fluttered from golden to brown and she narrowed her eyes.

"You are Loki, my owner," she said unsure.

"Not for long," Loki said, "but for now I am, and you can't make contracts, Lucy."

"I don't understand," Lucy said and put a hand on her head. When she looked up again her eyes were its normal color, but also filled with tears.

"Relax," Loki said and embraced her. At first she was completely stiff in his arms, but then a tear broke loose and soaked into Loki's shoulder. Loki tightened his hold around her and she let her tears fall on his shoulder. At first it was silent sobs, but soon she cried harder and had to grab around his shirt to keep standing. She cried higher and wilder than she had ever done before and Loki just stroked her hair in silence.

"I killed him…" she sobbed and buried her head deeper in Loki's shoulder. He smelled like smoke, dust and Loki.

"You weren't yourself," he whispered, "Wan's death wasn't your fault."

"I regret killing Wan," she said and finally pulled away from Loki. His eyes twisted in pain when he saw her tearstained face, "but what is worse… I think… I think I killed Ares too."

* * *

**hope you liked. : D Review please. **


	10. The Human town

**Story takes a big twist. Heh... hope you like. ^_^/ **

* * *

Chapter 10.

"Y-you killed Ares?" Loki asked disbelieving; he was standing with his hands on Lucy's shoulders and stared into her miserable eyes, "how? When?" he shook her a little to make her speak and she had to cling to his arms to keep standing.

"H-he gave me his powers…" she began and her eyes flickered.

"All of them? Is he an idiot?" Loki said and narrowed his eyes.

"No. No. He only gave me a little, but I – I took it all," she shook out, "I didn't mean to, but the power was so… tempting." Tears formed in her eyes, and she hid her face in her palms. Loki sighed and pulled her into his arms. His hands stroke her hair gently. Her hands still covered her eyes, but she let her head rest on his shoulder and sobbed quietly.

"I still have time," she whispered into his shoulder.

"No way," he said quietly, not harsh, but certain, "I'm not sending you back – see how well that ended last time."

"Loki, I have to give him his powers back… how long do I have?" she pulled away from his protecting hands and her eyes were suddenly determined and strong again.

"If you think-!"

"How long?" she said a little gentler.

"Lucy," Loki said frustrated and ran a hand through his hair, "you have 1 hour, but…"

"Thank you," she said and gave him a small smile.

"That wasn't a ticket to go!" he exclaimed and grabbed her wrist like he was afraid she would run away. She laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He gasped surprised and stood stunned for a second, but then he narrowed his eyes, "you play dirty."

"I'll be back," she told him, "please close the gate."

"If you come back with the smallest scratch…" he mumbled.

"You'll never forgive me?" she questioned teasing.

"I'll have to kill somebody," he corrected her simply. She sighed deeply, but didn't comment it further; she didn't have time to argue with him. Ares was dying (if not already) and needed her help. Loki gave her a last begging glare, but then he rolled his eyes in defeat and Lucy almost smirked.

"Gate of the spirits, I close thee," he said like he was being tortured to. Lucy kept her smile on while disappearing, but Loki didn't even _try_ to look amused.

* * *

Ares sat up with a gasp and hugged his body tightly. He was suddenly surprised that it was so easy to breathe, and all the pain was gone too. He lifted his head and scanned his surroundings; he was sitting on a long field of green grass. He could hear the wind blow quietly around him, while it playfully pulled in his dark hair.

His hand flew to his head.

"What the hell?" he cried out in shock. His horn was gone. He jumped to his feet and tried to measure his back, which only resulted in him spinning around on the spot. His wings were gone too.

"What the-" he said stunned and looked down his body. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt a pair of jeans.

"WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled and pulled his own foot all the way up to eyelevel to measure the brand-new snickers on his foot. He lost balance and fell like a rock to the ground.

"I'M A FRIKIN' _HUMAN_!" he yelled out loud in panic and sat up with a horrified expression. Then his face turned wondering, "why am I a frikin' human?"

* * *

Lucy appeared in the spirit world once again. She smelled the familiar scent of food and house. She stood in the middle of Baldurs living room again, but she didn't even have time to measure her surrounding's before a rush of metal flew through the air heading straight for her. She yelled out in shock when a knife dug deeply into the wall behind her only inches from her cheek.

"What are you doing?" she yelled and stared at the attacker. Baldur was kneeling on the floor, his hand was still raised from the murderous attempt to hit her. His eyes were twisted in an unusual angry expression and he looked like he either wanted to cry or kill somebody – maybe both.

"You did this!" he yelled angrily and pointed an accusing finger at her, "You killed my owner and my best friend." His own words seemed to trigger him off, because he rose to his feet.

"Baldur, please," she said and waved her hands wildly to make him relax.

"You're going to pay!" he said angrily and headed straight for her. First now she realized that he had been kneeling beside his couch were Ares lay. Ares face was a scary pale color and his mouth was a little open, but his eyes were peacefully closed. One of his arms hang lifeless down the side of the couch and Lucy didn't think she had ever seen him lie that still. He had somehow always been in movement.

"Baldur!" she yelled an lifted her hands to protect herself from the armored man, "please listen! I deserve being hurt and twice what you'll do, but let me save Ares first… please!"

He hesitated.

"What are you talking about?" he said harshly. Lucy didn't like him talk this way, he had always been kind and brotherly around her, it was odd to hear him speak this way.

"He gave me all his powers," she said and hesitatingly moved past Baldur, "I will try to give them back… although I don't know how to." She admitted.

Baldur didn't say anything; he just watched her walk toward Ares like a hawk watches its pray. Lucy was almost scared to turn her back to him, but she ignored it, and kneeled by Ares lifeless body.

"Please be there," she whispered so quiet that Baldur didn't hear. She remembered he had had his hand on her forehead and then the burning feeling had filled her whole being. Just the thought made her shiver. She brushed his hair away from his forehead and tried to mimic what he had done. His skin was smoother than she had expected. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Nothing.

She tried to think of the burning feeling she had felt and bring it through her fingertips.

Nothing.

"I don't understand," she whispered.

"You can't wake the death," Baldur said gloomy, "you know what the worst thing is?" he said and seemed determined to hurt her, "He had a saying, that he invented when he was just a kid," Baldur told her, Lucy turned to look at him and almost felt bad for smiling, but the thought of a mini-Ares made the corners of her lips lift a little, "he always said ´Love is only a stupid temporary feeling, and I'm not going to suffer under it´."

"What do you mean? What does that have to do with-" Lucy started, but he cut her off with a lifted finger.

"I mean that he have never sacrificed himself for anybody… not once," Baldur tried to put as much venom into his words as possible.

"I never meant to…"

"Just go," he said and his eyes turned colder, "and don't bother taking my key, I won't sign any contract or serve you in any way."

The words hurt terribly, but she deserved them. It was all her fault.

"I-I won't bother you again then," she whispered and wrapped her fingers together, "I'll be going now."

"Yeah…" Baldur mumbled and narrowed his eyes.

Lucy took a last look at Ares before she hurried out of the door. She wished she could go back to the human-world, but Loki hadn't summoned her yet, and she wasn't a golden key, she couldn't go to the human world when she wanted to.

* * *

Ares ran across the field and finally spotted civilization. The top of a few houses appeared and he hurried down to the city. ´_If I had had my wings I could have flown there in seconds, humans have such an useless design _´ he thought annoyed. He had never used his legs for long distances before.

He saw two young boys run just outside the town. Maybe he could ask them.

"Hey small people!" he yelled after them and they turned with surprised expressions.

"Who are you calling _small_?" one of them asked, but when he saw Ares he turned silent. He had a bandage on his cheek and seemed to be the oldest. The other one had a blue cap on and seemed even shyer toward the approaching teenager.

Even without horns and wings Ares appearance screamed, ´_Dangerous´_ and ´_Don't mess with me_´.

"Do you know a person called Loki?" he asked and ignored their huge scared eyes.

"N-no," the one with the bandage answered.

"Then do you know a Guild called… um … Fairy-something, I think," he said and tried to remember what Lucy's Guild was called. Loki had mentioned it a few times, but Ares hadn't really paid attention.

"Fairy tail?" the boy with the cap asked.

"That's it, kid!" Ares said and pointed triumphing at him, but he just flickered back.

"T-the Guild is over there," he stuttered and lifted a hesitating hand toward the place, almost afraid that Ares would rip his hand off.

"Thanks humans," Ares said and patted them on the head before he hurried past them. He jumped up in the air, but halfway he realized he didn't have wings and with a surprised groan he fell flat on his face.

"M-mister?" the two boys echoed and hurried toward him. Ares chuckled and lifted his body from the ground.

"This human-thing is not that easy," he told them.

"You are weird, mister," the blue-cap boy said. Ares looked at him and he jumped a step back.

"Oh yeah, you should try to lose your wings and see how coordinated you would be," Ares told him and the boy pulled his brows together in an invisible question mark. "What are your names?" Ares asked.

"I-I'm H-Hiro," the boy with the bandage answered and straightened his back like he was in the military.

"My name is Isao, M-mister," the boy with the blue cap answered and straightened his back too.

"Hmm…" Ares said and smirked by their expression, he had never thought he would depend on two humans, but whatever, this day was crazy enough already. He straightened up and pointed a tomb toward his chest, "well, I'm Ares – not mister."

"Yes sir!" Both boys said at the same time. Ares sighed by the ´sir´, but ignored it.

"Could you show me to that Guild?" he asked and both boys nodded.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

**What did you think? Ares is now a human, and everybody thinks he's dead. xD **

**Review please. ^_^/ **


	11. Dead  or not?

**Hi! ;) **

**Ares is on his way to Fairy Tail. : P **

* * *

Chapter 11.

Ares looked at the guild with a serious expression. He couldn't believe that he was actually here in the human-world.

"Is anything wrong, mister?" Hiro asked hesitant and scratched his cheek close to the bandage. The two boys that Ares had run into earlier had followed him the whole way. Hiro was a small boy with bright red hair and a bandage on the cheek, he wore a baggy sweater that made him look even thinner than he was. The other boy named, Isao, was even smaller, but a little larger and he wore a blue cap and a hoddie.

"Nothing's wrong, small humans," Ares told him.

"You talk weird," Isao said and stared at him with his big, childish, brown eyes.

"And you're small!" Ares snapped back and patted him on the head to underline his words, "now you'll have to excuse me, I have to clear some things up."

"We'll go with you!" Hiro insisted.

"Huh?" Ares said and stopped in a step, he turned slowly and looked at them with his most threatening eyes, "you don't want to, kid!" he said, but that just seemed to excite them even more.

"Are you going to join Fairy Tail?" Isao asked and stared at him even more.

"With humans? Please..." Ares asked and started walking toward the entrance. To his surprise he heard small footsteps follow him. He turned and looked surprised at the two boys following in his footsteps, "No people under this height!" he said and held his hand a little over their heads.

"But Mister!" Hiro insisted.

"Bye, kid!" he said and turned to the door again. The boys looked sulking at him, but then Hiro whispered something to Isao and they ran off. Ares looked after them with a grin.

He opened the door and expected to see a lot of amazing mages practicing their magic, maybe a huge training area were mages hit the targets with their awesome magic.

"WOW!" he exclaimed when he had to dodge a flying chair.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean!" a high-pitched voice cried out. Ares looked over and saw a boy with flaming pink hair and bright fire shine from his hand. He stared at another boy with pitch-black hair and … no shirt. They both wore bandages and had clearly just been seriously injured, but they still fought? _Human_s!

"You heard me!" the dark-haired one yelled back.

"Oh, guys!" a female voice broke in, it was a tall white-haired girl with a long red dress and a tray with drinks, "you have been fighting constantly while Lucy have been absent."

They knew Lucy – then they must know Loki too.

"Hey! Violent humans!" Ares called and waved toward them.

"Huh?" the two boys said annoyed and turned to see who had greeted them like that.

"Do you know-"

"Who the hell are you?" Gray asked grumpy.

"How the hell do you think your talking _to me_!" Ares freaked out immediately and with two huge steps he stood in front of Gray. They were about the same height, so he couldn't tower over him, but he still stared coldly at him.

"Huh?" Gray said surprised and looked at him with confused eyes.

"Who do you think you are?" Natsu asked and crossed his arms.

"I'm a _golden key_!" Ares said in his normal superior tone.

"Key? Oh, are Lucy back?" Natsu asked and looked past him in excitement. Gray studied Ares.

"Are you one of her newer keys, I have never seen you before, and you don't even have any cool features or costumes," he said and rubbed his cheek.

"For your information I have both wings and horns," Ares said and clenched a fist at Gray.

"Ares?" A voice broke through. Ares turned and his face twisted in annoyance.

"I have been looking for _you_ everywhere!" he said and walked determined toward the tired boy with sunglasses.

"What's with this freak?" Natsu whispered to Gray.

"W-why are you here?" Loki asked with surprise and shock painted in his face.

"How should I know? I landed here after giving Lucy my powers – can you believe it? She took it all!" he groaned and made wild hand movements, "I have lost my horns, wings and powers and been annoyed by THAT ONE-" he pointed accusingly at Gray. Loki ignored the last part.

"Do you remember anything?" he asked instead.

"No," Ares mumbled and lowered his hand, "only that I felt very weak… weaker than I have ever felt before and then everything went, ´POOF´!" he made his hands circle in the air to underline his words.

"Poof?" Loki asked confused.

"Like summoning ´poof´," Ares explained.

"What says, _poof_?" Natsu asked confused when him and Gray joined them.

"Excuse me, I don't know you," Ares said and waved him off.

"What did you say?" Natsu yelled and clenched a fist toward him.

"I can't believe how perfect you fit into this Guild," Loki sighed.

"Huh?" Ares said surprised.

"Never mind, I'm going to summon Lucy, she's worried sick about you" he said and lifted his hand with her key. Natsu and Gray looked at him with excited eyes. Ares just looked flustered by Loki's words.

"Gate of the Spirits! I open thee! LUCY!" he yelled. The smoke rose around him and a familiar flaming light began to shine in the room. Suddenly the smoke started to smell weird, burned.

"Something's wrong," Loki mumbled, "This is not suppose to happen."

Suddenly rock and dust shattered in a huge explosion. All the Fairy Tail mages that had been sitting and laughed together were blown back in the wave of energy. Ares, Loki, Gray and Natsu also got yanked backwards and banged into the back wall.

"Oh, that poof…" Natsu mumbled and fell flat on his face to the floor.

"Wh-what happened?" Loki got out.

"No offence, but you're a horrible celestial mage," Ares murmured weakly and couched some rocks out of his throat.

"I did what I always do," Loki snapped back.

"What the heck happened?" Elfman coughed from the other side of the room. Levy coughed too and looked at Loki. All the mages seemed surprised.

"H-hey! Sorry about that," Loki said and waved his hands apologizing.

"What's this?" Ares said wondering and walked to the place the explosion had started. In the middle of a burned circle lay a document. "The Switch Document." Ares read and picked it up from the floor.

"What?" Loki asked surprised and hurried by his side to read.

"It's the contract I signed with Lucy," Loki said and took it from Ares fingers. He groaned annoyed, but Loki ignored him, "some of the words have changed."

Gray and Natsu hurried over and looked over Loki's shoulder.

"SOOooo…" Ares asked and stared at Loki's eyes that ran back and forth the document, "what does it say?"

"You big idiot!" Loki exclaimed and almost curled the paper. He lifted his head and stared at Ares with accusing eyes, "how could you give _all_ your powers to a _Switch Spirit_?"

"What? What did I do?" Ares asked flustered and held his hands up in defense.

"You are now part of the contract you huge _moron!_" Loki said and threw the document to the ground with as much force he could manage.

"Speak _human_ – no scratch that –" Ares mumbled.

"Your powers got mixed up with Lucy's," Loki said and closed his eyes in annoyance, "she is a mix of human and spirit at the moment – and all your powers went to the spirit part and made her human-part get so suppressed that it moved to your body, because of lack of space!"

"Oh… um… what?" Ares mumbled and scratched his hair.

"Think of it as a glass of water," Loki mumbled, "the water is her human-part, what happen when you blow air down the glass with a straw?"

"The water overflow," Ares said and smirked that he had managed to answer a question.

"Exactly," Loki sighed, "now she is more spirit than human."

"And… I guess that's … bad?" Ares questioned.

"I'm not sure," Loki mumbled, "but now you're a part of the contract, that's why you're human."

"I see," Ares mumbled and looked down at himself, "so this is like a temporary meat-suit. Not that it matter, we just summon Lucy and make everything back to normal."

Gray and Natsu looked back and forth between them while the conversation went on.

"It's not that easy," Loki mumbled and picked the contract back up and held it up in front of Ares while holding him finger across the second line, "it says that ´_When the last minute have passed, the owner have to switch back with her one spirit_´"

"So?" Ares asked confused.

"Her _one_ spirit," Loki repeated and something seemed to click in Ares head.

"Oh no! No, no no no!" he said and backed away from Loki, "I'm going home! I'm not staying_ here_."

"I'm not sure you have a choice," Loki mumbled, "I must kind of say, its good news for me." He looked innocently to the ceiling.

"What's that suppose to mean!" Ares yelled angrily.

"I'll get all your powers when we switch back," Loki said with a smirk.

"NO WAY IN HELL!"

* * *

Lucy gasped for air and held around her body. She had had a weird feeling that she was being summoned, but then it had just stopped and a paper lay by her feet.

"The Switch Document?" she read wondering and started reading. Her eyes grew as she read.

"I-I'm a spirit?" she said shocked and looked at her hands, "I have all Ares powers. The powers of a golden spirit." She had to say it out loud to make sure it was really the truth. Then she would be able to go to the human world without being summoned – like Loki.

It was worth a shot.

She closed her eyes and focused. She cleared her mind and though of Loki.

* * *

"No way!" Ares cried out and pushed Loki to the ground and started punching wildly at him. Loki raised his hands and stopped the attacks with ease. He clenched a fist and hit Ares as hard as he could.

Ares cried out in frustration when Loki had him pinned to the ground a moment later - his foot pressed against his skull. He cursed angrily and closed his eyes in anger. Loki removed his foot and sighed.

"How many timed do we have to go through this?" Loki asked.

"I won't let you!" Ares yelled and hurried to his feet, his eyes shone with anger, "I have wanted to surpass you _my whole frikin' life_. I pushed myself to the limits… but you was always better than me," Ares said furiously and his knuckles turned white, "When you became a Golden Key I pushed myself there too, and now… I'm taking a step back, when you take five forward!" he yelled frustrated. Loki sighed.

"It's your own fault."

"Would you have let her die?" he said and raised an eyebrow.

"N-no but-"

"See! You owe me for saving her!" he said and smirked.

"How do I own you?" Loki said and stared at him.

"Because you love her and I did it for you," Ares said and crossed his arms.

"So you don't feel anything for her at all?" Loki said skeptically.

"W-well…"

"HA!" Loki exclaimed and pointed at him.

"Shut up!"

Suddenly a cloud of smoke rose from the floor and they stopped instantly. A figure showed in the smoke and a pair of excided brown eyes shone from inside the smoke.

"Did you see that? I summoned without being summoned!" Lucy said stunned. Ares pulled back in surprise.

"L-Lucy?" Loki said, surprised at first, but then his lips spread in a grin, "you're back."

"Loki," Lucy said and her voice suddenly sounded sad. He hurried toward her and lifted her head up so he could look her in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" he whispered and looked at her with worried eyes.

"It's Ares… he's dead…" she whispered sadly.

"Really?" Loki said and almost laughed, "What makes you think that?"

"It's not funny! I saw his dead body… it was horrible, it's all my fault," she said and her eyes turned blank with tears.

"Hmm… he seems pretty energetic to me," Loki mumbled and spun her around. Her eyes widen in shock and surprise.

"Yo!" Ares said and lifted a hand.

"Y-you…" she began stunned, then her eyes turned hard, "IDIOT!" she yelled and pushed her palm into his chest with all her strength. He exclaimed a surprised ´Guh! ´, when she hit him.

"Careful!" he complained, "I'm just a fragile human! This body breaks easily."

"Idiot! Idiot!" she yelled at him and stared at him with angry eyes, "I thought you was dead. Why aren't you dead?"

"Well, I'm sorry to be alive," he said grumpily and held her an arms length away from his body, "now give me my powers back!"

"Excuse me!" she said surprised.

* * *

**Sorry about lateness. xD Please Review and I promise to have a new chapter up before next friday. : ) **


	12. Solution

**Hi. ;)**

**So I said I would upload last friday and I had it in document Manager, but I forgot to upload it *facepalm*! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !**

* * *

Chapter 12.

"Not fair!" Ares yelled and pointed and accusing finger at Loki. Lucy had just gotten all the details and sat with the document in her hands, reading the same paragraph over and over again.

"It's _your _fault," Loki reminded him.

"_MY_ FAULT!" he yelled and the same discussion started all over for the_ fifth_ time, "_SHE _sucked all my powers. It's _her _fault!"

"Huh?" Lucy said annoyed and looked up from the paper, Ares flickered, "let me remind you that _you_ took me out to your _friend_ who got me cursed!"

"W-well, only because you …" he thought about it and made an annoyed moan. Lucy smirked by her victory and Ares made a sulking protest.

"Humans are a boring species…" he sulked, "no wings or anything… fragile little… stupid…" he mumbled and dug his hands deeply into his pockets.

"How long do we have?" Lucy asked and looked at Loki.

"About 20 minuets," he answered with a glare at the clock. Ares looked at Loki like he had just announced dooms-day.

"ARGH!" He exclaimed and ran toward Lucy with a desperate expression, "Concentrate! Let my powers fl-ow back!" he poked her head and demonstrated how the powers flowed from her to him.

"If I could I would have done it already," she said annoyed.

"Are you saying I have to be human from now on?" he said and shook her frantic. She grabbed his hands and made him stop shaking her.

"Relax!" she demanded, but that only made him wander back and forth.

"Do you need a bag to breathe in?" Loki said and lifted an eyebrow.

"Shut up!" he snapped, "I don't want to be _human._" he gestured to Lucy and she sighed.

"Maybe you should take some air," Loki mumbled and clenched a hand around his shoulder and pulled him toward the door. He gave Loki his usual deadly glare, but he followed his advice and stumbled out of the door.

Loki and Lucy followed him with their eyes and Lucy twisted her eyes in concern.

"Are you sure he should be alone?" she mumbled.

"Yeah, he'll be fine," Loki mumbled, "now let's see if we missed anything," he mumbled and took the document from Lucy's fingers.

* * *

Ares took a deep breath and lowered his head. He was suddenly feeling very tired. His legs were weakening under him and he had to sit down outside the Guild.

"Mister! Mister!" a high-pitched voice suddenly yelled. He looked up with drowsy eyes. It was one of the boys from earlier; it was the one with the blue cap.

"Isao?" he guessed. The boy didn't answer he just stuttered heavily, while trying to catch his breath.

"Mister… p-please-" he began and took a deep breathe, "Please help…"

"Sorry kid, I'm not in the best mood, today" he interrupted and scratched his hair.

"B-but… there are these boys," he said panicking and made wild hand-movements, "they have been bothering us the whole week and now…" he had to take another breathe, "they have forced Hiro up on a roof and he… is afraid of heights… please help him."

"Make your mom help him down," Ares murmured and rubbed his tired eyes.

"B-but the boys wants to push him down," Isao continued. Ares sighed.

"Not my problem," he said and let himself fall back onto the ground and closed his eyes. He felt the sun being blocked from under his lids and when he opened them he looked into a pair of huge brown eyes, breaking in tears, "please… you don't understand…"

"Kid-"

"Hiro just got back from the hospital, his spine was hurt…" Isao had started sobbing, "if he falls down from that roof, he might die."

Ares pulled his eyebrows together and looked away.

"I have my own problems, kid," he said quietly. He was afraid of leaving if Lucy and Loki found a way to give him his powers back while he was gone. A few human children weren't worth giving up being a spirit.

The young boy started sobbing.

"You are the only one that can help, mister" Isao begged, "please, please."

"As they say, solve your own problems," Ares said and covered his eyes with an arm. That human child was really pushing it.

"Who says that?" Isao said angrily.

"Hmm, maybe that's mostly me," Ares admitted and smirked.

"You don't care that Hiro_ die_?" Isao said with a childish disbelieving voice. He clenched his fists and starting swaying back and forth in frustration. "Damn it!" he whispered and spun on his heel heading toward the town. His footsteps thundered against the ground and became more and more distant.

Ares removed his hands and looked after him with emotionless eyes. Then he sighed and rubbed his eyes again. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head with a lazy yawn.

"Those humans really pulls the _worst_ out in me," he murmured to himself and slowly rose to his feet.

* * *

"It is so specific," Lucy complained and gestured to the document, "it gives us no loopholes of any sort." Loki made a small sigh and kept reading.

"There most be something," he said and his eyes went back and forth the sheet like it was tennis match.

"You should just be happy," Lucy mumbled, "you'll get all his powers."

"Maybe but…" Loki began, but stopped himself, Ares words was still echoing inside his skull; _I have wanted to surpass you __my whole frikin' life__. I pushed myself to the limits… but you were always better than me. _

"Loki?" Lucy asked and pulled him out of his thoughts, "how exactly did he give me his powers?"

"When a spirit is hurt they can transfer… your powers by-" he trailed off when an idea popped into his head, "That's it!" he yelled and his eyes expanded in excitement, "I know how we can get Ares powers back in his own body!"

"H-how?" Lucy asked surprised.

"Well… you will not like it," Loki admitted and grinned.

* * *

"Let go!" Hiro said helplessly and clung to the huge boys arms. They had forced him up on a roof and held him by the collar, stepping closer and closer to the edge.

"Sure, we'll let go," the boy said with a grin. The others laughed behind him - like a loyal chorus.

"I just had an operation, Kei," Hiro said panicking and dug his fingers into the boy, named Kei's arms when he lifted him a little higher. Kei just smirked and shook him.

"Hiro!" Isao's voice suddenly broke through.

"I-Isa-" he cut himself off when he saw who was with him. His eyes turned huge and a smile spread on his face, "mister?"

"It's Ares," Ares sighed and rolled his eyes.

* * *

**Whatcha think? ^_^/ Review please. : D **


	13. My day of dying

Chapter 13. 

"Where the hell did he go?" Loki said annoyed and looked around after the jumpy spirit. Lucy walked behind him with an unsatisfied look on her face.

"I don't like your plan," she murmured quietly. Loki sighed and turned toward her.

"I knew you wouldn't," he said with a small smile, "but Ares will."

"But-"

"Don't worry so much," Loki stopped her and gave her another smile, but she could see that his patience was running short. Sometimes she forgot that Loki wasn't just there to cheer her up, protect her and make her feel better – he was a boy. A boy that needed it _his_ way once in a while.

"I get it," Lucy mumbled and looked away. Loki raised an eyebrow in wonder, but then he sighed and grabbed her hand.

"Let's find him."

* * *

"Don't tell my mom," the boy begged from Ares fingers. Ares was holding him by the collar, while the other boys were climbing down roof in panic. Isao and Hiro was watching with huge eyes and admiring smiles painted on their faces. They were all still standing on the roof and the cold wind pulled lightly in their hair.

"I don't know your mom," Ares said and rolled his eyes.

"Please put me down… sir," he said with a small voice and tried to look pitiful. Ares rolled his eyes and loosened his finger so the boy fell to his knees. The boy stared at Ares for a moment – afraid of moving, but Ares just gave him a dismissing gesture and he hurried to stumble to his feet.

"I'm telling my brother," the boy yelled pitifully over his shoulder before climbing down from the roof.

"Mister, that was amazing!" Hiro yelled and before Ares could dodge, both boys had attacked his leg, wrapping around them.

"L-let go," Ares yelled annoyed and grabbed both their collars and ribbed them away from his body. He sat them down and looked at them with serious eyes, "I'm serious all that cuddling is… really… an... noying…" his words slowed and his world started to spin. He stumbled a little and fumbled after something to hold on to.

"Mister, what's wrong?" Isao asked surprised.

"N… nothing…" he mumbled and rubbed his eyes, "just a little dizzy, I guess."

"We'll get you some water," Hiro and Isao said in unison and with abilities of monkeys they climbed down the roof and ran after water. Ares groaned and pressed two fingers against his forehead. He closed his eyes and tried to focus.

"Ares!" Someone yelled in the distant. The voice echoed in his head and made him feel dizzier.

_Does this mean I'm becoming human? _He thought to himself.

"Ares!" Another voice yelled. It was probably Loki and Lucy, looking for him. About time. He stumbled a little back and forth, but kept his eyes closed.

"Ares, what are you doing up there?" the first voice yelled, yes, it was definitely Lucy – damn, couldn't she stop yelling? His head felt like it was going to explode.

"I'm going up after him, he doesn't look well," Loki told her. _He was damn right. _

Suddenly there was no more roof.

Ares hadn't realized he had stumbled all the way to the edge. His heel was now only supporting on empty air and he felt his whole body sway. He finally opened his eyes and almost cried out in shock when all the color came at once.

He cursed silently and rubbed his eyes.

"Ares, just stay still," Loki yelled nearby. He had got up on the roof and looked at Ares with calm eyes, "Just reach forward and support by my arm." He guided.

Ares lifted his trembling arm and opened his eyes slightly, but closed them again immediately. _Turn down the colors. _

"Ares!" Lucy suddenly yelled. He could only let out a gasp in surprise, when his balance failed and his body fell backwards into the cool air. His eyes opened instantly and widen.

He wanted to turn in the air and land on his feet. On all four would even do, but his body was absolutely limb.

a lot suddenly happened at the same time: Loki was leaning over the edge of the roof a little distance from him, his eyes were huge in shock and his hand was stretched toward Ares, even though it was long out of his reach. He tilted his head slightly and saw Lucy run toward him, but she was also too far away. Behind her Hiro was dropping a cup of water and Isao was standing with a shocked expression.

"_Humans_," Ares whispered to himself with a slightly crooked smile, before his neck hit the ground with a scary '_Crack_'-sound.

"No…" Lucy whispered stunned and stopped in her track when a small drop of blood hit her cheek.

"You got to be kidding me…" Loki whispered disbelieving.

Time seemed to have frozen for a few terrible seconds.

"What the hell are you just …_standing_ there for," a rasping voice broke the silence. Everyone made a small jump in surprise when Ares lips moved. He gasped and coughed roughly, which made blood run down the side of his mouth and hit the ground with wet thuds.

"Ares…" Lucy whispered and kneeled down beside him, "only _you_ would survive that fall, gezz!"

"You seem to get mad every time I _don't _die," he said and made a weird rasping laughter, "but don't worry…" he mumbled and touched his bleeding neck with a shaking hand, "I think I'll be gone for good _this time_."

"Mister!" Hiro cried out and both boys came running toward him. Loki climbed down from the roof and made a humorless laughter.

"You are the worst!" he complained and crossed his arms, "you were always clumsy."

"Gezz, at least let me die with my dignity," Ares coughed out and felt more blood flow from his mouth.

"You are not going to die, you idiot," Loki said and gave him a knowingly smile, "this actually goes according to plan."

"I'm glad somebody is hap-"

"Just listen, Ares," Lucy cut him off. Ares made a deep sigh.

"This is the lamest death ever…"

"Listen! A spirit can give another spirit powers if they are near death, that's how you gave Lucy yours," Loki explained and tried to keep in simple, "maybe you can get your powers back when you are near death."

"Then this is a damn good place to begin," Ares said and started coughing again. Lucy put a shaking hand on his forehead.

"I – I really hope I can do this," she whispered, sounding like scared kid. She couldn't keep her eyes from Ares bleeding wound, it was only luck that his neck hadn't broken. Ares kept coughing, but took her hand. He gave her a small glare before he continued his coughing.

"Okay," she whispered to encourage herself before she let her other hand rest on his forehead where small drops of sweat had started to form. The other hand she tightly held Ares hand, which was too weak to squeeze her back. Lucy stared at her own hand as hypnotized.

"Does it work?" Loki asked quietly and looked at Lucy expression. She had almost turned as pale as Ares.

"I don't feel anything," she murmured frustrated and watched while Ares took a deep gasp in pain and pressed his eyes together. He bit his lip so hard that a new stripe of blood ran down his chin.

"Loki, it doesn't work," Lucy said with a small voice.

"K-keep trying," Loki whispered in need for better words.

"How do I do it?" Lucy panicked, "Ares, how did you? Please tell me." She said and shook him lightly. He looked at her with a mix of pain and annoyance.

"S-stop shaking the d-dying person," he complained and took a few shaking breaths before he found the courage to speak again, "you can never… do it." He said and almost fainted when he spoke.

"What do you mean?" Lucy said panicking and grabbed both his hands with her own. He smiled through the pain.

"Lucy, you will just make him die faster if you make him speak," Loki said and put a hand on her shoulder. Both Lucy and Ares ignored him and Ares spoke again.

"Because… you have to…" he stopped, not only because of the pain, but also of real unease.

"You have to what?" Lucy insisted.

"You have to_ love _the person…" he finished. Loki's hands stiffen on Lucy's shoulder and her eyes started to flicker and water. Ares had saved her life when she was dying... did that mean...

"You love me, Ares?" Lucy said and looked at him with pitiful eyes. Ares looked away when he saw her expression. He didn't want her pity – that was the last thing he wanted.

"I doesn't matter," he mumbled and closed his eyes.

"Don't you dare," Lucy yelled and shook him roughly so his eyes opened again.

"What the he-"

"Don't you give up!" she yelled and placed a hand on each of his cheeks. Loki let go of her shoulders and moved a little away.

"Do you hear me? I wont let you die," she said with a hard voice, "there most be a way…"

"Move aside," a new voice suddenly commanded and Lucy was shoved out of the way. Ares made a small gasp in surprise and Loki hurried to catch her before she hit the ground.

"What?" Lucy said surprised and jumped out of Loki's arms, but he grabbed her arm again. She stopped and realized who had appeared.

"Baldur?"

* * *

**Sorry bout' delay. But it's vacation now, so I think I can get more writing done. : )**

**Review and hope you liked. ^_^/**

**PS: This was made fast, so sorry if there was a lot of grammar-stuff. :)**


	14. The Fight

**Hi! Wasn't that pretty fast updated? xD **

* * *

Chapter 14.

"I can't believe you were alive and made me worry," Baldur said and crossed his arms – towering over Ares who lay on the ground with blood dripping from his chin. Lucy stared at the spirit from Loki's arms and didn't know what to say. She hadn't exactly left on the best terms with Baldur.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at your bleeding _best friend_, or are you going to give me some juice," Ares said impatient and coughed demonstratively. Baldurs smile disappeared.

"You're not a spirit anymore, Ares," he said quietly, "I'm afraid no one can give you your powers back. That is why Lucy couldn't give you any powers either… you are a human."

"So… I'm going to _die?_" Ares said and suddenly sounded wondering.

"No," Baldur said and smiled a little, "I know a little healing that works on… you know, humans."

"Yeah yeah, just rub salt in my wounds!" Ares said and sighed deeply.

"Just stay still," Baldur said and kneeled beside him.

"Oh, because I was going to run a marathon," Ares snapped, but Baldur ignored him. Lucy watched them for a moment, before she spoke quietly.

"Is there no way Ares will get his powers back?" she whispered to Loki. She felt his arms tighten around her.

"I don't know…" he sounded stiff. She turned in his arms and looked up at his face. His eyes were cold, as they stared at Baldur and Ares, his expression was as carved in stone and his arms was tight as a protecting wall around her.

"Loki?" she said hesitant.

"What?" he said instantly and looked down at her.

"Nothing," she murmured back and looked away from his golden eyes, "how long do we have?"

"a few minuets…" Loki answered shortly.

"And there's nothing we can do for him," she said sadly and looked at Baldur who was doing some kind of shining-palm-spirit-healing on Ares, while Ares was biting his lip, obviously in pain.

"Only Baldur can help him right now," Loki said flatly.

"I wish I could do something," Lucy whispered, "He saved my life-"

"He also brought you in danger!" Loki said and Lucy felt him tense even more around her.

"He had good intentions-"

"Stop!" he yelled angrily and pulled Lucy with as he marched around a corner without a certain location in mind.

"Loki, what are you-"

"Quiet!" he said loudly and pushed her up against a wall, "just _shut_ up!"

"What is wrong with you?" Lucy protested angrily and tried to push him away, but he barely blinked. He stood with each hand on her shoulders and stared into her eyes for a long moment. Then he spoke in a more controlled voice.

"He has done nothing but put you in danger," he said harsh, "you owe him _nothing_. Nothing!"

"Loki, will you be reasonable?" Lucy said and stopped struggling, "what do you have against him? He might have made some mistakes, but nothing that he hasn't paid back for."

"It's not what he has done," Loki said and his eyes twisted in pain, "it's what he's doing."

"What are you saying?" Lucy said confused and looked at him with clueless eyes. Loki made a deep sigh and let his head fall onto her shoulder. Clearly regretting his outburst.

"I'm so tired," he changed the subject and _did_ sound exhausted. His fingers had loosened and hang almost lifeless down his body. Lucy grabbed his shoulders and supported him – afraid he would fall over.

"We have had some pretty rough fights," Lucy admitted.

"Not physically… mentally," Loki corrected her.

"What are you talking about now," Lucy said and laughed humorless. Loki made a groan in annoyance and hugged her tighter.

"You are horrible," he said quietly, "I already told you I love you."

"Loki-"

"Don't 'Loki' me," he cut her off, "who had to wait for you while you were worried for that spirit? Who watched you getting beaten up by enemies? Who almost lost you? Who let you go back to the spirit world after almost see you die? Who held you in his arms when you cried? I did! Who are you worried about? Him!" Loki almost shouted at the end and sounded more childish than Lucy had ever heard him before.

She sighed and spoke in a softer voice.

"Loki he is dying, you know I care-"

"I'm dying too!"

"Don't even joke about that!" Lucy snapped and pushed him away from her body, so she could look him in eyes.

"Can't you see that I'm jealous?" Loki said angrily and grabbed her face between his hands, "I'm jealous as hell!"

"Loki, please stop," She said and removed his fingers from her face, "this is not the time to snap. Because either you like it or not, Ares is dying and need our support."

"Oh, yeah, Ares need your support," Loki said and stepped back with his hands raised, "I understand. Why care about _me,_ when _Ares_ need your support."

"You're being ridiculous and unfair!" Lucy said and was starting to get really angry.

"_I'm _being unfair!" he yelled furiously.

"Yes!"

"It's not me who _pretend_ to love someone, where-after they _ditch_ him for someone else!"

"I never _pretended_ to love someone, or _ditched _someone for someone else," Lucy snapped back.

"So you don't love me!"

"Yes, I do! Even though I'm starting to doubt it!"

"So you don't love him!"

"H-he's my friend!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"I did not!"

"Did to!"

"Um … guys…" a voice mumbled quietly.

"WHAT!" They yelled back in unison and turned. Baldur and Ares looked at them with surprised expressions. Ares leaned toward Baldur and silently mimed ´_awk_-ward´. Both Loki and Lucy looked away and tried to get back to reality. Then Lucy coughed silently and spoke.

"Ares, you're better," she said and ignored the groan from Lokis side.

"Something like that," he said and rolled his eyes, "except that there's no way for me to become a spirit again – according to Baldur."

"How long do we have?" Baldur asked. Lucy turned to Loki.

"How long, Loki?" she said and he rolled his eyes before he answered.

"About less then a minute..."

"We would have to use very black magic to solve that in time," Baldur said with a sigh. Suddenly Ares eyes brightened up.

"That's it!" He suddenly said very loud. Everyone turned and looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Loki said and looked at him with narrowed eyes, "don't assume that anyone here – or in Fairy Tail – use black magic."

"Maybe not, but we know one who can," Ares said and suddenly smirked. Baldur looked wondering at first, but then his expression changed to shock.

"Ares, you can't be so stupid-"

"You just answered your own question," Ares said and grinned, "I still have unfinished business with Mania."

* * *

**Ares never gives up on becoming a spirit again. xD **

**What did you think. Please review and hope you liked. ^_^/**


	15. Death of a Spirit

Chapter 15.

Ares didn't even stop to knock on the door when we arrived to Mania's little house outside the spirit world. Instead he threw a well-placed kick at the wooden door and watched it fall to the ground with a loud thud. Lucy, Ares and Baldur walked in and looked around in the dark room. It was still a mess from last time they had been there.

Loki wasn't a spirit, so he hadn't been able to come, which he had clearly expressed his anger towards, but he was still mad at Lucy, so in the end he let her go with an unsatisfied ´fine´.

To everyone's surprise Ares still had the ability to survive in the Spirit world (although he almost threw up after the trip there). He most still be some kind of ´Half-spirit´ or something. He had never signed his name on the Switch Document so maybe he had small loopholes.

"Mania!" Ares growled and his eyes flickered around the room. Lucy looked at the watch that Loki had given her to hold track of the time. 55 seconds.

"The door wasn't locked, you know," a smooth voice said and Mania strolled toward Ares from an unknown hiding place. Lucy, Baldur and Ares lifted turned their heads toward Mania. Ares was taken off guard when her face suddenly was an inch from his own and he exclaimed a small ´gezz ´, in surprise and sighed annoyed.

"So what brings you here, Ares," she said and tilted her head toward Baldur and Lucy. By the movement Baldur pulled Lucy closer to him. Lucy made a small sound in surprise, but it also made her smile – it looked like Baldur had forgiven her. "And you brought your friends," Mania continued with a laugh, "how's your hand?" she asked Lucy with a smirk.

"Listen we don't have time for this," Ares cut her off with his well-known impatience and grabbed her arm to get her attention, "something happened with the Switch document and I need you to-"

"To cast a little spell that will make your horns grow out again," Mania ended and laughed, "I know."

The fact that she ´knew´ gave Lucy chills.

Mania let a hand run through Ares hair and he growled, "I do like you without them." Ares closed his eyes and held back his temper. Mania smiled and let her hand run down to his shoulder, Lucy didn't know why, but something about the way she touched Ares made her angry, but she just pressed her lips together and watched, while Mania continued, "but I _did_ like the wings-"

"Can you do it," Ares said and grabbed her wrist and held it a little away from his body.

"What? You _don't _want to stay human?" Mania said and raised an eyebrow in faked surprise. Lucy looked at her watch again and bit her lip. 38 seconds.

"Why would I want that?" he said with flicking eyes, but then came back to reality, "Anyway! Can you do it?" Ares said stressed and glared at her.

"I can do it, but," She said and gave him a teasing smile, and both Baldur and Ares made annoyed groans.

"What do you want?" Ares asked.

"I'm getting what I want no matter what," she said and winked at him. He made a face and clenched both his fists at her.

"I have about 40 seconds before I go permanent human, now tell me what you want or I'm placing my fist right in your smirking face!" he growled and pulled his fist a little back to show that he was serious.

"Actually you have about 20 seconds," Lucy corrected him in the moment it happened.

"What!" Ares yelled and turned toward Lucy with enlarged eyes.

"Does it ever help to threaten the one holding the deal?" Mania sighed defeated, "But Fine," she said, "do you really want to hear what I want?"

"Yes," Ares exclaimed and turned toward her. Lucy made a huge gasp in surprise when a glimpse of silver caught her eye, but before she got the words over her lips the sound of something long and sharp cutting through flesh echoed around them.

"Ares watch out!" She yelled a second too late. Mania laughed loudly while staring into Ares eyes, who had widen in shock. Mania's features suddenly smoothened and for once she looked serious.

"You are teaming up with the people who killed Wan, our owner," she hissed angrily while Ares rasped and his mouth filled with dark blood, "I'll never forgive that!"

"No!" Baldur yelled, but before he could move Mania turned her wrist and cut the knife from his stomach to his chest and made the sound of breaking bones stop time. Lucy gasped out in shock and her legs collapsed under her.

Baldur's body instantly turned tense and he lunged forward and grabbed Ares' body before he kicked Mania away with all his strength.

With a scream in delight she got shoved into the wall behind her and the wall destroyed around her. Lucy felt Ares' body being shoved into her arms and she dark blood flowed through her fingers and made her shiver.

"Hold him," Baldur demanded and turned back toward Mania. Lucy's hands started to shake harder and she turned his face toward her to look at him. The sight made her choke in a cry and tears started to stream down her face.

His mouth was slightly open with blood running down his chin, his skin was ghostly white and his eyes were empty and staring straight forward, almost like he was spacing out.

"You can't be dead," Lucy told him and shook him lightly, "you always survive-" she stopped to exclaim a sob, "y-you gave all your strength away and survived … Goddanm it you fell down a building and almost broke your neck, how can you die so… instantly?" she made another sob and with a shaking hand she closed his eyes, "Stupid… Idiot…" She clenched around his body and ignored the sticky blood. Suddenly she realized that her body had started to shine gradually.

"Times up," She told him and made a little sigh, "guess this is the end." She put her hands around his neck and hugged him a last time.

* * *

Suddenly she was sitting on the street of Magnolia. Her hands that had just held Ares' dying body was now empty and clean, but still shaking. She let them fall down her body. People looked at her in surprise, but carried on with whatever work they were doing and whatever destination they were heading toward - all totally unaware of the sadness and pain that filled her whole being and the mess of blood and violence that hunted her mind.

"Lucy," Loki's voice said flatly. She lifted her head slowly and looked up at him. He was standing beside her, leaning up against the wall. He still looked mad.

"L-Loki…" Lucy began and felt fresh tears run down her face. By the sight of her tears his face twisted in surprise and worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked and kneeled beside her on the ground, suddenly every trace of anger was washed from his face.

"Ares is dead… like… really dead," Lucy said and choked in another sob.

"Hey hey," he said and pressed her into his arms, but somehow that just made even more tears spill and she clenched her fingers around his shirt. He stroke her hair and guided her to her feet.

"Lucy, calm down," he whispered soothing and chuckled lightly. Lucy really didn't see what was so funny before he calmly whispered in her ear, "everybody's staring."

She gasped in surprise and pushed his body away from her, and stared at the town-people who was staring with worried eyes.

"Gezz," she said and dried her eyes with rough movements.

"Lucy, it's okay," Loki whispered and put a hand on her shoulder, but this time she stepped out of his range. He sighed and lowered his arm, "Ares have had many near-death-moments, and I'm sure he's okay this time too." Loki mumbled.

"Then why isn't he here," Lucy asked and tried to push the picture of Ares dead eyes out of her head, "he didn't get any spell or anything… he should be permanent human… he should be here!"

"Lucy calm down, _please_," Loki said and Lucy realized she had started yelling. She looked away in embarrassment and sighed. People around had started walking in a slower pace to see if they should step in.

"Let's go somewhere else, huh?" Loki said and hesitantly took her hand. She let him, but didn't look into his eyes.

"You're a spirit again?" she asked with a small voice while he pulled her out of the crowd.

"Yeah…"

"You most be tired," she whispered, fighting another sob, "you should rest."

"I have plenty of energy now that…" he stopped himself and coughed awkwardly.

"Now that you have energy for _two_ golden spirits," Lucy finished his sentence. Loki's grip tightens around her hand and she finally looked up at his face. It was twisted in concern, but not kind loving concern, but a doubtful concern. Loki was clearly wondering what he should believe. Lucy had _once again_ forgot that Loki was a living person too.

"Let's get you back to the apartment," Loki said and looked at her with his eyes, they had turned more golden again, which made him look less as a human and more as the familiar spirit she knew.

* * *

A little while later they sat in Lucy's apartment. She had explained what had happened and ended with "… and then he stopped breathing and I got zapped here."

"I see," Loki murmured and Lucy snorted.

"That's your response? _I see_," she said and looked at him with frustrated eyes, "spirits live decades… for one to die is… _tragic_."

"Okay then…" he looked to the ceiling and faked a thoughtful look, "it's horrible and I wished I could have stopped it." He said and looked at her for improvement, but she just punched him.

"_You _are horrible," she said madly and looked away. Loki sighed and became serious.

"I'm sorry," he said and touched her hand, "if it gives you peace in mind I'll go check on Baldur and Ares."

"Yes," she responded quietly. In the moment the word was out she exclaimed, "wait!" but before she had even turned her head, the hand on hers had disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

**What did you think? Review and let me know. : ) **

**Hope you like ^_^/ **


	16. Back on track

**Hi. ;) **

**Am I the only one who is dead-tired because of the time-thing where you set your clock and hour back. xP **

**Anyway...**

* * *

Chapter 16.

Ares might be dead...

Lucy walked restlessly around her apartment for hours while thoughts circled around her mind, but there was no sign of Loki yet. He had just disappeared without a word and hadn't come back.

In need for something better to do, Lucy sat down in front of her desk and pulled out a blank piece of paper. She took a pen and started writing with her cursive handwriting.

The words almost wrote themselves and she just had to guide her fingers back and forth the paper. For just that moment her mind was completely sucked into the world of her story and she forgot about everything around her. Hours now felt like minuets and the world kept floating until-

"Lucy…" a voice said weakly behind her. She spun around in her chair, the pen sliding out of her hand.

"Loki," she said shocked when she saw the spirit. He was barely standing and flickered like a projection. She jumped out of her chair and grabbed around his shoulders, "what happened?" she said with a small voice.

"We killed Mania," Loki said with a grin and lost balance for a second. Lucy made a small gasp and helped him back up.

"Here, sit down," she commanded and helped him to the bed. He let her guide him to it and let himself fall back on it and gasped for breath.

"I-it's pretty hard to stay here, I'm kind of…" he stopped to inhale, "out of breath." Then he laughed tiredly and closed his eyes to concentrate about gathering powers, but he just flickered even more. Lucy knew she was suppose to say ´get back to the spirit word and relax´ or ´you can tell me everything tomorrow´, but she just had too many questions, so instead she was extremely selfish and asked:

"Please tell me what happened," with a small voice.

His smile disappeared and he opened his eyes slowly. For the first time Lucy realized his hand was clenching around something. He raised his closed fist slowly and held it toward her, his breaths was still irregular, but he got a few words out.

"Baldur's key…" he murmured and let it drop into her outstretched hands. She felt the cold metal against her skin and a familiar feeling of protection when she closed her fingers around it.

"Baldur… so he is okay?" Lucy asked and choke the question that was eager to slip.

"Yeah, he's fine…" Loki murmured, "I mean, he's a mess, but he's _alive._"

"And Ares?" Lucy said quietly.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Loki said and scratched his cheek, "but I actually don't know."

"What?" Lucy said surprised and looked at him in surprise. _He didn't know? _

"Let me explain," Loki said and sat down on her bed. He coughed professionally and Lucy rolled her eyes, "I arrived to Mania's house – what was left of it anyway – and found Baldur and Mania fighting..."

* * *

A rain of rocks and dust filled the air as Baldur punched his way through a (before solid) wall. Mania laughed amused and jumped out of his range once again.

"Baldur!" Loki yelled when the thick cloud of dust faded slowly. The spirit turned, and Loki took a step back in surprise when he was met by Baldur's furious glare.

"Get Ares somewhere safe," he said shortly and turned back to his fight. Loki made a small nod and started looking around. Big pieces of wall and furniture's were shattered all over and Ares could lie crushed under several of them.

"Damn it," Loki mumbled under his breath and ran over to a huge piece of wall and with effort he got it lifted away, but only found empty air and dust underneath. He ran to another place where a couple of chair had been crushed to a pile of wood on the floor, and spread it out to see if Ares had been hid beneath, but that was not the case.

Before Loki could check somewhere else a huge explosion echoed around him and the next moment Baldurs body was crushed into him and he exhaled in pain when he was punched to the ground with Baldur on top.

"Get the hell off me!" he rasped under Baldur. The muscular spirit hurried away and yanked Loki up by the shoulder.

"Did you find him?" he asked and wiped some blood off his cheek.

"No," Loki responded and rubbed his neck.

"Look harder," Baldur demanded.

"Yeah yeah…" Loki said and sighed exhausted, "why don't you look for him and _I'll_ fight?"

"I wouldn't feel as satisfied," Baldur said with a scowl and tensed when Mania came into eyesight with her huge grin on. She was bleeding from her mouth and forehead, but she still laughed crazily.

"Already done?" she mocked cheerfully. Baldur gritted his teeth and stormed forward.

* * *

"Did you find him?" Lucy interrupted the story.

"Well… Baldur fought for a long time and got some heavy bruises, but in the end he got her down," Loki murmured and grinned, "we looked for Ares for hours, but he was all gone."

"What do you mean, _gone_?" Lucy said surprised.

"I mean what I said," Loki said and rolled his eyes, "that's what took me so long – we even went to check the spirit town."

"He can't just be gone," Lucy mumbled frustrated.

"I'll check again," Loki promised, "meanwhile, you can get some sleep, 'kay?"

Lucy laughed humorless, how could she_ sleep_ when one of her friends was in missing - or dead? Loki put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to look into his eyes.

"I wish I could stay and comfort you, but I'm basically… worn out," as he said it his body flickered again. Lucy nodded and looked down. "Hey! Cheer up," Loki said and lifted her chin with a finger. She looked into his eyes and saw the warmth and calmness, which Loki always seemed to have when he needed to.

"Loki," she murmured, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he laughed and kissed her forehead, "don't apologize for anything."

"But I just want to-"

"No!" he interrupted and closed his eyes with a smile, "just get some sleep, whatever you want to say, it's okay."

He kissed her forehead with a smile and Lucy closed her eyes. She let herself breathe in the familiar smell of his body and the warmth of his presence. And when she opened her eyes again he was already gone, and somehow he had left her in a very sleepy state. She let herself fall down on the pillow and sighed deeply before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Lucy!" a voice said and shook her lightly, "Wake up!"

Lucy rubbed her eyes tiredly and looked into two pair of eyes. She shrieked surprised and sat up in her bed. She still had her clothes from yesterday on. Natsu and Gray were standing over her bed (and had basically broken into her apartment).

"What? What is it," she said flustered.

"It's so good to see you," Natsu said with a huge smile painted on his face.

"Why are you two in my apartment!" Lucy said - almost out of habit.

"We know where your annoying friend is," Gray said looked at her for a reaction.

"My annoying friend?" Lucy said. Suddenly all the past days events clicked into her head again and she looked down. This scene where Gray and Natsu stormed into her apartment had been so familiar that she had forgotten everything that had happened for a second.

"Yeah, that Ares person," Natsu said happily.

"B-but how did you two know?" Lucy asked surprised and stared at their brightened faces.

"Loki told us yesterday," Natsu answered, "now come." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of bed. Lucy let him and smiled to herself. _Of course Loki would involve everyone._

_

* * *

_

**next chapter is being written. Please review. ^_^ and hope you liked. **


	17. Goodbye

**Hi! ; )**

**Thank you for sticking around so long! : D All your reviews have been so awesome and you still review even with my wacky schedule, you guys are Amazing! ^_^/ **

* * *

Chapter 17.

"Mister," Hiro said and grabbed Ares sleeve, "where are you going?"

"I don't know yet," Ares said with his back to the two boys.

"Are you not going to tell everyone that you're okay, and say goodbye?" Isao questioned and both boys had to run, to follow Ares large steps down the empty streets. Ares laughed humorless and shook his head.

"I'm not good with goodbyes," he just murmured.

"Are you not bringing anything with you?" Isao asked and gestured toward him, "you don't have food, a tent or change of clothes, and where are you going to go anyway?"

"Ah, shut up, shut up with all the question, I'll figure that out later," he said annoyed and put both hands behind his head.

"But you're still hurt," Hiro informed him and looked at all his bandages. He was only wearing a black t-shirt, so the long bandages down his arms were visible and he almost swayed back and forth when he walked.

"I know… tell your mother, thank you, for patching me together and everything," he said and waved dismissing of the two boys. After the fight, Ares had turned Human just after Lucy and had appeared in an empty alleyway, where Hiro and Isao had found him and brought him home to their mother. She was a small woman with a friendly smile.

"You should stay," Hiro said and grabbed the back of his shirt, "please stay, mister."

"I might be back," Ares sighed and stopped to remove Hiro's fingers from his shirt.

"But you just came…" Isao began sadly.

"Kid-"

"Yeah Ares, you just came," a cold voice broke through and all three boys turned their heads. Ares stared in surprise for a second, then he laughed nervously and lifted his hands in defense.

"Hey, Loki… how are you?" he said awkwardly and slowly backed away. Loki narrowed his eyes in anger and started walking toward the tall boy with heavy steps.

"Do you know- Do you have any idea-" Loki said between clenched teeth. Ares backed away, but suddenly his back hit the wall and he looked panicking around, but before he could run Loki took around his collar and hit him hard against the wall.

"Hey! I don't have my powers, this is an unfair fight-"

"Do you have any idea how worried Lucy is about_ you_?" he said the word ´you´ with so much anger that Ares went quiet for a second, but then he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"She'll be fi-" he was cut off when Loki pulled his body a little closer and punched it back against the wall with so much force that Ares gasped in pain. He became dizzy and cursed angrily of his injuries.

"Great, if my ribs wasn't broken before, they are now!" he spitted angrily and stared with cold eyes at Loki. Hiro and Isao had retreated to the opposite wall and stared at the scenery with wide eyes.

"Get back there and tell her you are okay," Loki commanded.

"No way! I'm done with all of this! I'm going to find a way to turn back to a spirit, and it's not here," Ares said and gestured toward the road out of town, "there may be a way for me to become a spirit again and I intend to find it," he grabbed around the hand Loki had clenched around his shirt and smirked, "and then I'll come back and beat the crap out of you!"

Loki let go of him, but didn't breaking the eye contact.

"What are you afraid of?" Loki said coldly.

"Nothing!" Ares snapped and his smirk twisted to anger.

"I think you are too afraid of confronting her - you would rather run away, then admit that you love her," Loki said and clenched his fist when he said it out loud. He had known it for a while, but it was still hard to accept. Hiro and Isao exchanged glares.

"I. Would. Never. Love. _Anyone_!" Ares said and suddenly his voice turned darker and he looked absolutely furious, "I promised myself that a long time ago."

"Get over it, Ares!" Loki said harshly and smirked, "those twisted-childhood-experiences doesn't soften me."

"Don't start with me-" Ares said and tighten his fist.

"You are just a weak person, who never recovered from a loss," Loki said and Ares stared at him with widening eyes, "What was it, oh yeah, you killed her, your first real love, right?"

"Shut up!" Ares said and his eyes flickered back and forth by the memory.

"Yes, I have heard the story, everybody in the town has! Only Baldur forgave you for killing her, why do you think everybody else keeps a distance from you?" Loki continued.

"Shut up! Just- just stop! Be quiet!" Ares yelled and grabbed his forehead with a shaking hand.

"You killed her out of jalousie!" Loki said disgusted.

"It- it was not suppose to happen like that. It was an-"

"Accident?" Loki ended, "you were found with her blood on your hands."

"That's enough!" Ares yelled frustrated and tackled Loki to the ground. Loki made no attempt to struggle or protect himself when Ares fists rained down on his face, one hit harder than the other.

"It was not my fault! It was_ not_ my fault!" Ares said repeatedly while he smashed his tightened fist toward Loki's blotted face.

"Stop it!" a light voice suddenly screamed out and he felt a pair of hands push him off Loki with frustrated strength, if he hadn't been so dizzy already he would probably have noticed her earlier. He stumbled to his feet and breathed heavily while he tried to focus his eyes.

"Lucy?" he said between breaths and shifted a little back and forth before he fell to the ground. The wounds on his arms had opened and a big red spot started to spread on his right arm.

Lucy hurried to help Loki to a sitting position and examined his face. Ares watched while her fingers turned his face in search for injury. She sighed when a stripe of blood ran from Loki's lip, but he wasn't seriously injured. The she turned her head to Ares; her eyes were filled with hurt and betrayal.

"How much did you hear?" Ares snapped and stumbled to his feet.

"Everything, I have been listening from the beginning, Gray and Natsu told me where to find you," she said with low voice. Loki moaned and put a hand on a sore spot on his head.

"Why would you do this?" Lucy said with a quiet voice, but Ares could tell that she was going to release the waterworks soon.

"What? Beat up Loki? Kill my Girlfriend? Which one is it?" Ares said and had to support against a nearby wall. No one noticed that Hiro and Isao quietly ran off.

"Those things are both horrible," Lucy admitted and Ares exclaimed a laugh and shook his head, " But I meant the fact that you didn't tell me you were alive, I was really worried about you," Lucy said and squeezed around Loki's hand for her own support, "do- do you really love me?" she asked with a hesitant voice. Loki's eyes dug into Ares.

Ares narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together. They held eye contact for a long moment, but then Ares laughed and shook his head.

"I do not!" he said and turned away. Lucy took a relieved breath.

"Where are you going to go?" Lucy asked and let go of Loki's hand. His eyes flickered in concern, but he let her walk toward Ares without protesting.

"I don't know," Ares said and stiffen when he realized she was coming closer.

"Here," she said and Ares turned his head slightly to see what she was offering him. He made a small ´huh´ in surprise when he saw the key in her hand.

"Baldurs key?" he questioned.

"You should take it, summon him and tell him you are okay," she explained and looked away, "he is your best friend, so even if you don't find a way to become a spirit again, you should have your best friend with you."

"Hmm," he exclaimed and took the key out of her hand, "you are _so_ stupid." He said with a smile.

"What?" Lucy said surprise and suddenly the perfect moment shattered around them.

"You just gave up a golden key, I-di-ot!" he grinned and waved it in front of her face. Both Loki and Lucy stared at him – in shock over his change in mood. He laughed loudly and put both hands on her shoulders.

"That was nice of you to do," he said and smiled teasingly, "you are a good person, Lucy."

"Ares, you-" Loki said angrily and jumped to his feet, "be a little more serious!" he tried to sound angry, but he was too shocked over Ares mood.

"Ha, sorry, too much chick-flick moment and sad music for me, I guess!" Ares laughed and looked back at Lucy, his eyes changed back to serious for a second, "you are really an amazing person, and I guess I really like you," he mumbled and leaned forward.

Both Loki and Lucy stiffen in shock when Ares lips touched Lucy's forehead lightly, but he pulled back immediately and whispered so low that only Lucy heard, "but you are taken, right?"

"Ares," Lucy said flustered. She felt Loki's hands on her shoulders and he lightly pulled her away from Ares and into his own arms. Ares pulled back and said in a serious voice again.

"I wasn't kidding, I will be back and fight you," he told Loki.

"Man, your mood swings give me the creeps!" Loki said and shivered.

"Mister!" two voices suddenly yelled out, and everyone turned. Hiro and Isao came running toward them with bag packs slamming against their backs.

"We are coming with you!" Hiro yelled.

"Our mom said, okay!" Isao added.

"Crap, no way I'm babysitting humans!" Ares exclaimed and put both hands on Loki's shoulders and stared at him with panicking eyes.

"I now leave them in your care!" he said and turned around and with long steps he actually ran away.

"Ares!" Lucy yelled after him, but couldn't help a smile.

"Sorry," he yelled back and with a grin he added, "it would never have worked out between us!" before he rounded a corner. Hiro and Isao exclaimed annoyed yells and headed after him as fast as their small legs could run.

Lucy laughed silently and leaned back in Loki's arms.

"He was… different," Lucy said quietly.

"Will you miss him?" Loki asked hesitant and wrapped his arms around her.

"He will be back," she said with a smile, "I just can't believe it's all over."

"Yeah, me neither," Loki said, "do you want to hear about his girlfriend – the one he killed?"

"Nah, he will tell me some day," She said and smiled.

"Maybe," Loki mumbled and turned her in his arms so he could look into her eyes, "so now, I guess there is just _one_ final question."

"A- a final question?" Lucy said and blushed slightly.

"Yes," Loki said and leaned closer to her with a teasing smile playing on his lips. His hair tickled her cheek gently and she felt his warm breathe on her face.

"What is it?" she murmured quietly.

"Do you admit that a spirits life is harder than a humans?" he said directly.

"What!" Lucy said surprised and pushed him away, "no way it was!"

"HUH! Didn't you experience the fights and conflicts and you get summoned when your owner wants it! And you had to have weird comrades!" Loki said and counted on his fingers.

"But as a human you can't do anything, you were totally defenseless and had to watch your spirit take the hits for you!" Lucy argued.

"You learned nothing!"

"Neither did you!"

Lucy walked past him with a dismissing wave with her hand, "you are just too stubborn to admit that I was right!"

"Excuse me, but that is SO not the case! You should just admit it!" he said and followed her with his hands waving wildly around him.

"Humans have it harder!"

"Spirits have it much harder!"

"Humans!"

"Spirits times two!"

"Humans times a million!"

"Spirits times a zillion!"

"Humans times infinitive!"

"Spirits times a million infinity!"

**The end**

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**Leave a final review please and tell me what you thoughts of the whole story. : D Hope you liiiiiked and this is the 3th story that I have actually finished. Yay! ^_^**


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